title: The effect of lower limb rehabilitation gymnastics on postoperative rehabilitation in elderly patients with femoral shaft fracture: A retrospective case-control study.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of lower limb rehabilitation gymnastics on postoperative rehabilitation in elderly patients with femoral shaft fracture after undergoing intramedullary nail fixation surgery.We collected medical records of elderly patients aged ≥ 60 years with femoral shaft fracture between 03/2010 and 03/2015 in Longyao County Hospital. Totally, 160 patients were identified and divided into the intervention group (n = 80) and the control group (n = 80). During the postoperative period, the intervention group received lower limb rehabilitation gymnastics treatment for 3 months, but the control group did not. All patients were routinely asked to return hospital for a check in the 1st postoperative week, as well as the 2nd week, the 1st month, and the 3rd month, after surgery. The clinical rehabilitation effect was evaluated by checking lower limb action ability, detecting the lower limb deep venous thrombosis (DVT), scoring muscle strength of quadriceps and visual analog scale (VAS) score, and performing satisfaction survey.At the 1st week and 2nd week after surgery, the clinical rehabilitation effect in the intervention group was better regarding lower limb action ability, lower limb DVT, muscle strength of quadriceps, VAS score, and patient satisfaction, as compared with the control group. However, there was no significant difference at the 1st month and the 3rd month after surgery when comparing the intervention group to the control group.In the early postoperative stage, lower limb rehabilitation gymnastics can effectively improve the recovery of lower limb function, beneficial to reducing postoperative complications such as lower limb DVT and muscle atrophy, and increasing patient satisfaction rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Spinal Surgery, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Ziqiang Road, Shijiazhuang Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Longyao County Hospital, Longyao Hebei Provincial Key Laboratory of Orthopaedic Biomechanics, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China.
authors.forename: Si-Dong
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Sheng-Hua
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Ning
authors.forename: Li-Hong
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ying-Ze
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wen-Yuan
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Da-Long
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006173:Gymnastics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000517:prevention & control