Activities of daily living decrease similarly in hospital-treated patients with a hip fracture or a vertebral fracture: a one-year prospective study in 151 patients.
OBJECTIVE
A hip fracture is commonly regarded as the most devastating fragility fracture, as regards both morbidity and mortality, while a vertebral fracture is usually regarded as having lower general morbidity. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether hospitalized patients with a hip or a vertebral fracture experience similar functional deterioration following the fracture as regards activity of daily living (ADL) and experienced quality of life (QOL).


METHODS
Eighty-seven women and 22 men, mean age 81 (range 66-96), with a hip fracture and 34 women and 8 men, mean age 81 (range 68-92), with a vertebral fracture were followed up for 12 months. ADL before fracture and at 4 and 12 months after the fracture were evaluated as well as QOL at 4 and 12 months after the fracture, by questionnaires.


RESULTS
A hip and a vertebral fracture in community dwellers within the same age range confers a similar decrease in ADL during the four months following the fracture. No restoration was seen in ADL or total QOL during the year following the fracture. Patients with a vertebral fracture had a lower QOL than patients with a hip fracture 4 and 12 months after the fracture.


CONCLUSIONS
The need for external community assistance for patients with a vertebral fracture that forces them to have hospital treatment may be similar to the need following a hip fracture.
Theander
Eva
E
Department of Orthopaedics, Hässleholm Hospital, Hässleholm, Sweden.
Jarnlo
Gun-Britt
GB
Ornstein
Ewald
E
Karlsson
Magnus
M
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013548:Sweden