Most patients regain prefracture basic mobility after hip fracture surgery in a fast-track programme.

INTRODUCTION

Treatment of patients with hip fracture has improved over the past decade. Still, some patients do not regain independent mobility within their primary hospital stay even if they follow a multimodal fast-track surgical programme. The aim of the present article was to examine the validity of the preliminary prefracture New Mobility Score (NMS), age and fracture type as independent predictors of in-hospital outcome after hip fracture surgery.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study comprised a total of 213 consecutive patients with a median age of 82 years who were admitted from their own home to a special hip fracture unit. Outcome variables were the regain of independency in basic mobility as evaluated by the Cumulated Ambulation Score, and discharge destination in the community.

RESULTS

Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that patients with a low prefracture NMS and/or an intertrochanteric fracture were 6.5 and four times more likely to not regain independency in basic mobility during admittance than patients with a high prefracture NMS level and a cervical fracture, respectively. In addition, the odds of not regaining independent mobility increased with age by 5% per year. The same three variables significantly increased the odds of patients not being discharged to their own home.

CONCLUSION

Prefracture NMS, age and fracture type were confirmed as independent predictors of in-hospital outcome in patients with hip fracture who followed a multimodal rehabilitation concept.