Quality of life and functional independence of hip fracture patients: Data from a single center follow-up study in sri lanka

Abstract

Background: Data on the functional outcomes of hip fracture patients in Sri Lanka are limited. As this information is required for the design of long-term care plans, we assessed the physical activities (activities of daily living [ADL]) and quality of life (QoL) of hip fracture survivors in Sri Lanka. Methods: A group of 180 consecutive patients with incident hip fractures admitted to a tertiary care center in Southern Sri Lanka were followed up for 12 months. The Sinhala versions of the Barthel Index, 36-Item Short-Form Survey, and Mini-Mental State Examination were used to assess ADL, QoL, and mental status, respectively. Results: Of the 180 patients (149 women), 107 underwent surgery. An initial sharp decline and partial recovery of ADL and QoL were ob-served among patients with hip fractures. Furthermore, patients who underwent surgical treat-ment showed faster recovery of ADL and QoL than did patients who were managed conservative-ly. Similarly, patients who did not have complications during the hospital stay showed faster recovery of ADL and QoL than did patients with one or more complications. Conclusions: Hip fractures profoundly affected both ADL and QoL, and recovery remained incomplete at 12 months post fracture. Patients who underwent surgery had a faster recovery than did patients who did not undergo surgery; similarly, patients without complications also had a faster recovery than did those with complications.