Early surgery, rehab improve hip outcomes
Patients who undergo surgery within two days of hip fractures and receive more than five therapy sessions a week showed better outcomes than did other elderly hip fracture patients, according to a recent study.Physicians at the Durham (NC) VA Medical Center found that early surgical repair resulted in a shorter hospital stay and that high-frequency physical therapy and occupational therapy resulted in earlier ambulation, which "predicted community return and length of stay and was associated with fewer complications and greater six-month survival."
Helen Hoenig, MD, who led the study, reports her findings in the March issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
Article Limit Reached
You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
- Award-winning Medical Content
- Latest Advances & Development in Medicine
- Unbiased Content