Article

PURPOSE: To assess rehabilitation, type of follow-up visits and outcome after
bipolar hemiarthroplasty for femoral neck fracture. METHOD: Two hundred
thirty-six consecutive patients with femoral neck fractures treated with
hemiarthroplasty were followed for 30 months. RESULTS: One hundred sixty-eight
(71%) were women, 175 (74%) over 80 years old and 53 (22%) were demented. Of 150
patients with available 3-month data, 7 patients (5%) had not regained their
walking ability. Seventy (47%) were pain-free and 112 (75%) were back in their
original habitat. A hip-related complication leading to a contact with the
orthopaedic department occurred in 20 of all patients (8%), and 7 (3%) of these
underwent a revision surgery. One hundred eighty-seven patients (79%) received
occupational therapy (OT). Demented patients received OT more seldom (p < 0.001),
as did patients aged 90 and older (p = 0.049). CONCLUSION: Due to the low rate of
orthopaedic complications, these patients are now referred to their general
practitioners, without any further follow-up at the orthopaedic department.
Rehabilitation efforts are unevenly distributed. The need of increased
rehabilitation efforts for demented or 'old old' patients is discussed.

Langue : ANGLAIS