Autonomy of the elderly after a hip fracture surgery in a subsaharan country

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of surgery on autonomy in the elderly after a fracture of the proximal femur; and the factors associated with its alteration. Materials and methods: A prospective longitudinal study was performed on 66 patients aged at least 90 years treated for a fracture of the proximal femur between 2008 and 2017. Physical autonomy was assessed using the Katz scale Results: After the surgical management, the previous level of autonomy was found progressively increasing in 9.1% at 1 month, 17.5% in the 3rd month, 23.5% in the 6th month and 22% at 1 year ( P value <0.001). The factors associated with the deterioration in patient autonomy one month postoperatively were as follows: late admission ( P = 0.02), a period of verticalization greater than 15 days ( P = 0.02), at least one complication of decubitus ( P = 0.004), anemia ( P = 0.02) and an ASA score ≥ 2 ( P = 0.05). The comparison of the autonomy between hip fixation and hip prosthetic replacement did not show a significant difference in the first postoperative month ( P = 0.83). Conclusion: Even at over 90 years of age, surgery can significantly restore previous autonomy. The early admission and management of patients, the prevention of complications in the decubitus position, the early rise after surgery and the management of anemia are key points in restoring physical autonomy.