Geriatric and physically oriented rehabilitation improves the ability of independent living and physical rehabilitation reduces mortality: a randomised comparison of 538 patients.
To examine effects of physical and geriatric rehabilitation on institutionalisation and mortality after hip fracture.
Prospective randomised study.
Physically oriented (187 patients), geriatrically oriented (171 patients), and health centre hospital rehabilitation (180 patients, control group).
A total of 538 consecutively, independently living patients with non-pathological hip fracture.
Patients were evaluated on admission, at 4 and 12 months for social status, residential status, walking ability, use of walking aids, pain in the hip, activities of daily living (ADL) and mortality.
Mortality was significantly lower at 4 and 12 months in physical rehabilitation (3.2%, 8.6%) than in geriatric rehabilitation group (9.6%, 18.7%, P=0.026, P=0.005, respectively) or control group (10.6%, 19.4%, P=0.006, P=0.004, respectively). At 4 months more patients in physical (84.4%) and geriatric rehabilitation group (78.0%) were able to live at home or sheltered housing than in control group (71.9%, P=0.0012 and P