Influence of rehabilitation site on hip fracture recovery in community-dwelling subjects at 6-month follow-up.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate whether postacute rehabilitation after hip fracture influences recovery of prefracture function as detected by the FIM instrument motor scale.

DESIGN

Inception cohort.

SETTING

University-affiliated tertiary care hospital; inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) or skilled nursing facilities (SNFs).

PARTICIPANTS

People with acute proximal femur fracture treated between March 1, 2002, and June 30, 2003.

INTERVENTION: Post-hip fracture rehabilitation delivered at an IRF or SNF.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: FIM motor score estimated prefracture and obtained at 2 weeks and 24 weeks after hospital discharge.

RESULTS

Fifty-eight patients were treated at an IRF, whereas 39 were treated at an SNF. Controlling for baseline covariates, a mixed model showed a significant group by time interaction (F(3,57.1)=14.27, P < .001). Contrasts indicated that IRF subjects had greater initial improvement. Multiple logistic regression examining factors associated with recovery of FIM motor score to 95% or more of prefracture FIM motor score by 24 weeks found that IRF setting only was associated with recovery of baseline function with odds ratio of 5.44 (95% confidence interval, 2.02-14.65).

CONCLUSIONS

Even when controlling for important baseline covariates, community-dwelling hip fracture subjects treated in an IRF are more likely to attain 95% or more of prefracture functional status by 24 weeks postdischarge than subjects treated in an SNF.