Recovery after Hip Fracture: Interventions and Their Timing to Address Deficits and Desired Outcomes--Evidence from the Baltimore Hip Studies.

Hip fracture is a significant public health problem affecting an estimated 1.6 million persons annually. The consequences of hip fracture are also significant, with more than half of those who sustain a fracture either dying or not returning to functional abilities present before fracture required to function independently. The Baltimore Hip Studies (BHS) is a program of research that for more than 30 years has been doing investigations to identify, develop, and evaluate strategies to optimize recovery from hip fracture. This paper provides an overview of known outcomes and recovery patterns following a hip fracture, which are derived primarily from the BHS. Target areas and timing for interventions based on this recovery sequence are suggested. The paper concludes with a discussion of some of the areas that the next generation of studies needs to concentrate on in order to advance knowledge about the care of hip fracture patients to maximize their recovery.