Effect of a Postoperative Program with Added Trunk Muscle Training for Proximal Femoral Fractures in Convalescent Rehabilitation

Abstract

[Purpose] To investigate the effect of a postoperative program with added trunk muscle training for proximal femoral fractures. [Participants and Methods] Postoperatively, patients admitted to a convalescent rehabilitation ward were categorized into a control group (normal physiotherapy; 9 patients) and an intervention group (added trunk muscle training; 9 patients). Before and after the 4-week intervention, patients' trunk function, walking ability, balance function, lower limb muscle strength, pain, and fall self-efficacy scale were measured, and changes between the two groups were compared. [Results] In the intervention group, trunk function (thickness of the abdominal rectus, thoracic erector spinae and external abdominal oblique muscles, and endurance of the abdominal muscle), walking ability (timed up-and-go test), and balance function (Berg Balance scale) significantly improved compared to the control group. [Conclusion] These findings suggest that trunk muscle training may promote the recovery of walking ability and balance function in postoperative patients.