Comorbidity impact on social functioning after hip fracture: The role of rehabilitation

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the impact of rehabilitation treatment on social functioning in elderly patients after hip fracture during a rehabilitation program. Methods: This study included 203 patients with hip fracture. Four groups were analyzed on rehabilitation: Group 1, at admission, Group 2, at discharge, Group 3, three months after discharge and Group 4, six months after discharge. The analyzed parameters included: Musculoskeletal, neurological and cognitive impairments. Impairment severity was graded by cumulative index rating scale for geriatrics (CIRS-G). Evaluation of social functioning was completed by social functioning component (SFC) from quality of life (SF-36) questionnaire. Results: There was a significant improvement in SF-36 SFC values for observed impairments from admission to six months after discharge for each severity degree (p < 0.01), except for CIRS-G severity degree 4 for cognitive impairment, where significance was p < 0.05. For the group of patients with musculoskeletal impairment, there was a significant difference between the values of SF-36 SFC concerning different severity degrees of CIRS-G only at six months after discharge (p < 0.05). Patients with neurological or cognitive impairments have shown significant differences between the values of SF-36 SFC in regard to severity degrees of CIRS-G in all observational groups. Conclusion: Different degrees of observed impairments influence the degree of social functioning recovery in the elderly after hip fracture.