Long-term follow-up of hip fractures.
Hip fractures on 117 patients treated surgically and followed up for an average of 10.2 months are reviewed. Among the parameters analyzed were complications, mortality, clinical follow-up by the operating surgeon, and the ability to ambulate after surgery. Postoperative surgical complications occurred in 36% and medical complications in 18% of the patients. Mortality was 25% within the first year after surgery. Sixty-one percent of the patients returned at least once to the surgeon's office for follow-up; only 38% were followed for more than six months. In the surviving patients who were good ambulators before hip fracture, 60% to 70% became good ambulators postoperatively. Only 20% to 30% of the surviving patients who were poor ambulators preoperatively ever walked again.
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D005265:Femoral Neck Fractures / Q000601:surgery; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005592:Fracture Fixation / Q000379:methods*; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000009:adverse effects; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / Q000009:adverse effects; D025981:Hip Injuries; D006801:Humans; D007595:Joint Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000601:surgery