Factors Affecting Gait Performance at Discharge of Patients with Femoral Neck Fracture

Abstract

Ninety-six patients with femoral neck fracture were studied by clinical recordings to investigate the factors which affect gait performance at discharge from hospital. The items investigated were age, sex, type of fracture operation, complications, gait performance before injury and at discharge, physical therapy achievements in hospital, etc. The patients who could walk independently using T cane at discharge, those who could not showed higher rate of complications before injury and senile dementia, lower physical therapy achievements, and gait performance before injury. These differences were all significant. The results suggest the necessity of team approach consisting of doctors, nurses, and physical therapists for the patients with femoral neck fracture, especially those who are expected to have poor gait performance at discharging from hospital.