Resumen de Recovery of Walking Ability and Return to Community Living within 60 Days of Hip Fracture Does Not Differ Between Male and Female Survivors

Lauren A. Beaupre, Jeffrey L. Carson, Helaine Noveck, Jay Magaziner

• Objectives To compare risk-adjusted differences between men and women 30 and 60 days after hip fracture surgery in not walking, ability to return home in a community-dwelling subset, not walking in a nursing home resident subset, and mortality within 60 days.

  Design Cohort study.

  Setting Data were from a randomized clinical trial that compared two blood transfusion protocols after hip fracture.

  Participants Individuals with hip fracture (N = 2,016; 489 (24%) male).

  Measurements Walking, dwelling, and mortality were determined in telephone follow-up 30 and 60 days after randomization, which occurred within 3 days of surgery. Sex differences for each outcome were compared using univariate and multivariate regression adjusting for potential confounders.

  Results Men were younger (P < .001) and more likely to have comorbidity (P = .003) than women at the time of hip fracture and to die within 60 days, even after risk adjustment (odds ratio (OR) = 1.76, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.15–2.69). After risk adjustment, male survivors were as likely as female survivors not to walk (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.78–1.34) and no less likely to return home (OR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.69–1.17) 60 days after hip fracture. No differences were noted between male and female nursing home residents in not walking within 60 days (OR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.32–2.86).

  Conclusion Although men experience higher mortality, male survivors can expect recovery of walking ability similar to that of female survivors and are as likely to return to community living.