Evaluation of the health-related quality of life in elderly patients according to the type of hip fracture: femoral neck or trochanteric

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect the type of hip fracture (femoral neck or trochanteric) has on the Health-Related Quality of Life of elderly subjects. METHODS: Forty-five patients with hip fractures (mean 74.30 ± 7.12 years), 24 with a femoral neck fracture and 21 with a trochanteric fracture, completed the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) at baseline and four months after fracture. The Health-Related Quality of Life scores were compared according to fracture type, undisplaced and displaced femoral neck fractures, and stable and unstable trochanteric fractures. RESULTS: Compared to baseline, all patients scored lower in the physical functioning, role limitation-physical, bodily pain and vitality categories four months after the fracture had occurred. The SF-36 scores for all the scales did not differ significantly between patients with femoral neck versus trochanteric fractures, or between patients with displaced versus undisplaced femoral neck fractures and stable versus unstable trochanteric fractures. CONCLUSIONS: The mental and physical quality of life of elderly patients with a hip fracture is severely impaired one month after fracture, with partial recovery by the end of the fourth month. The negative impact on the Health-Related Quality of Life did not differ significantly according to fracture type.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Mendonça,Tânia Maria da Silva, Silva,Carlos Henrique Martins da, Canto,Roberto Sérgio de Tavares, Morales,Nívea de Macedo Oliveira, Pinto,Rogério de Melo Costa, Morales,Rogério de Rizo
Format:	Digital revista
Language:	English
Published:	Faculdade de Medicina / USP 2008
Online Access:	http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1807-59322008000500007
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