Analysis of Muscle Atrophy After Hip Fracture in the Elderly

Ogawa H, Oshita H, Ishimaru D, Yamada K, Shimizu T, Koyama Y, Akaike A, Hori H. Analysis of muscle atrophy after hip fracture in the elderly.ObjectivesTo examine the relationship between muscle atrophy, ambulatory ability, and fracture type, and to make a specific rehabilitation regimen for each fracture type.DesignObservational study.SettingPublic hospital.ParticipantsConsecutive patients (N=53) with hip fracture (mean age, 83.6y) who underwent operative treatment.InterventionsNot applicable.Main Outcome MeasuresThe ambulatory ability score and the cross-sectional areas of lower-limb muscles as measured on computed tomography scans.ResultsMuscle atrophy was not related to fracture type. Although the mean ambulatory ability score decreased significantly from 4.5±0.3 points prior to injury to 3.0±0.6 points 1 month postadmission, the degree of muscle atrophy was not associated with the decrease in ambulatory ability.ConclusionsIt seems likely that other factors are more important than muscle atrophy and fracture type in determining recovery after surgical repair of a fracture and that there is no need for rehabilitation regimens based on fracture types.