To determine how many patients were able to return to their previous independence status after a hip fracture, using the Barthel Index Scale to measure it.
An observational, prospective longitudinal study of 246 patients over 65 diagnosed with hip fracture. We determined age, sex, type of fracture and treatment, cultural, and economical status, independence level before and after the fracture, and mortality over 12 months.
Of the 246 patients studied, 71.5%were women, and the mean age was 81 years. The Barthel Index Scale before the fracture was 77. Seventy per cent of the patients were capable of walking before the fracture, but only 48%with intracapsular, and 39%with extracapsular hip fracture, reached their previous walking capability. Thirty five patients underwent nonsurgical treatment.
We found that advanced age, dementia, lower education levels, residence-dependent patients, and those who did not have surgical treatment, had lower levels on the Barthel Index Scale at 6 and 12 months. On the other hand, the absence of neurological diseases, attending follow-up clinics, good family care, and high haemoglobin levels prior to the fracture seemed to lead to a better functional recovery.