Assessment of frailty prior to injury using the health assessment questionnaire for old-old adults for patients with hip fractures

Abstract

Objective: To prevent hip fractures, comprehensive assessment and intervention including health status, nutritional status, and cognitive function, as well as musculoskeletal disorders, are necessary. In this study, we aimed to clarify the prevalence and characteristics of frailty as a background factor for this fracture by assessing for the elderly using a questionnaire.

Methods: We included 150 cases of hip fractures (79.3% female, mean age 83.0±5.1 years) who were over 75 years old, were injured by falls, and were able to walk before the fracture. We used the health assessment questionnaire for old-old adults to determine preinjury characteristics, and further examined differences by age group.

Results: 53.3% (80 cases) were frail. In addition to physical function, many cases of frailty were also found in items related to nutritional status and oral function.

Conclusions: Many of the patients had frailty even before the injury, and the causes were diverse, suggesting the need for early and comprehensive evaluation and specialized multidisciplinary intervention.