Muscle dysfunction in elderly individuals with hip fracture.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate muscle metabolism in elderly people with hip fracture.


METHODS
Free carnitine, carnitine esters, and respiratory chain enzyme activity were measured in muscle tissue from 54 patients over 65 years who underwent surgery for hip fracture, and from 40 healthy controls.


RESULTS
Eighty-five percent of patients older than 85 have either abnormal carnitine distribution or defects in the respiratory chain.


CONCLUSIONS
Elderly patients with hip fracture have muscle metabolic alterations that may contribute to neuromuscular impairment and be amenable to therapy.
Gonzalez-Crespo
M R
MR
Pathology and Orthopaedic Surgery Department, Hospital Doce de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.
Arenas
J
J
Gomez-Reino
J J
JJ
Campos
Y
Y
Borstein
B
B
Martin
M A
MA
Cabello
A
A
Garcia-Rayo
R
R
Ricoy
J R
JR
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D002331:Carnitine / Q000378:metabolism; D004579:Electron Transport / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009132:Muscles / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology
D002331:Carnitine