Sequential change in quality of life for patients with incident clinical fractures: a prospective study.
Health-related quality of life in elderly women with sustained incident fractures was assessed prospectively for 1 year, using the EuroQol standard. Loss of QOL was more severe in patients after hip or vertebral fractures than those with wrist fracture. QOL was not completely restored in patients suffering from hip fracture.


BACKGROUND
Osteoporosis-related fractures decrease mobility, social interaction, and emotional well-being. All of these characteristics determine health-related quality of life (HR-QOL). In this study, we assessed HR-QOL in elderly women following incident clinical fractures.


METHODS
Thirty-seven patients with hip fractures (mean age 76.1 years), 35 with vertebral fractures (mean age 72.6 years), and 50 with wrist fractures (mean age 68.6 years) were enrolled. HR-QOL was prospectively measured using EuroQol (EQ-5D) before the fracture, 2 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after the fracture.


RESULTS
During the observation period, reduction of EQ-5D values was greatest in the hip fracture group. In the wrist fracture group, EQ-5D values at 6 months after the fracture showed recovery; however, in the hip and vertebral fracture groups, recovery was significantly lower than before the fracture. One year after the fracture, EQ-5D values were not significantly different from prefracture values in the vertebral and wrist fracture groups, but remained significantly lower in the hip fracture group.


CONCLUSIONS
Loss of QOL was more severe in patients after hip or vertebral fractures than in patients with wrist fracture. HR-QOL was not completely restored in patients suffering from hip fracture.
Hagino
H
H
Rehabilitation Division, Tottori University Hospital, Yonago, Japan. hagino@med.tottori-u.ac.jp
Nakamura
T
T
Fujiwara
S
S
Oeki
M
M
Okano
T
T
Teshima
R
R
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D011885:Radius Fractures / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014954:Wrist Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation*