Factors associated with postoperative quality of life in patients with intertrochanteric fracture

Abstract

Introduction: Intertrochanteric fractures, which make up the majority of hip fractures, are a common and serious injury that can greatly impact quality of life. Treatment of such fractures comprises nearly half of the costs contributed to hip fractures. Identifying the factors affecting the functional outcomes of patients after intertrochanteric fracture can help to reduce burden of disease for the patient and healthcare system. The present study investigated the factors underlying the worsening of SF-36 scores for intertrochanteric fracture patients. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study was designed based on data from our clinic. All consecutive patients with intertrochanteric fractures from November 2016 to September 2020 were reviewed. The exclusion criteria included patients having a second injury or having had previous surgery related to the hip and those with incomplete data. Baseline characteristics of patients were extracted from annotated records. The lab data were acquired from the electronic hospital system. The outcomes were SF-36 scores obtained by phone contact with patients or their families. Statistical analysis was conducted in SPSS. Results: A total of 310 patients were included in the current study. The female gender, advanced age, history of diabetes, thyroid malfunction, cancer, osteoporosis, anticoagulant use and blood transfusion were identified as risk factors for lower SF-36 scores. Low levels of hemoglobin before surgery, Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN), BUN/Creatinine, and white blood count (WBC) values correlated with lower SF-36 scores. Conclusion: Numerous contextual variables affected the functional outcomes of the patients. Consideration of these factors could be helpful in reducing costs and improving the quality of life for intertrochanteric fracture patients.