INTRODUCTION: We conducted a study on elderly patients with hip fracture to examine whether it is possible to predict the ambulation status of these patients upon hospital discharge. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred and eighty six patients with femoral neck or trochanteric fracture, who were ambulant prior to fracture, were studied. Thirteen factors that may affect walking ability were selected and subjected to multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Of 186 patients, 145 regained walking ability at discharge. Factors significantly affecting walking ability at discharge were (1) anemia, (2) dementia and (3) abnormal chest X-ray. Each patient was scored on the basis of the above factors (1 = yes, 0 = no), and the total was used as the predictive score. CONCLUSION: A simple scoring system composed of these three factors was useful for the prediction of [corrected] the ambulation status upon hospital discharge.
INTRODUCTION: We conducted a study on elderly patients with hip fracture to examine whether it is possible to predict the ambulation status of these patients upon hospital discharge. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred and eighty six patients with femoral neck or trochanteric fracture, who were ambulant prior to fracture, were studied. Thirteen factors that may affect walking ability were selected and subjected to multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Of 186 patients, 145 regained walking ability at discharge. Factors significantly affecting walking ability at discharge were (1) anemia, (2) dementia and (3) abnormal chest X-ray. Each patient was scored on the basis of the above factors (1 = yes, 0 = no), and the total was used as the predictive score. CONCLUSION: A simple scoring system composed of these three factors was useful for the prediction of [corrected] the ambulation status upon hospital discharge.