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Timed Up and Go Test results an indicator for future physical function of patients undergoing hemiarthroplasty
Future physical function in patients who have undergone hemiarthroplasty for the treatment of hip fracture can be indicated early through the use of the Timed Up and Go test, according to this study from researchers in Montreal.
Researchers looked at 62 patients who underwent hemiarthroplasty for displaced femoral neck fractures, evaluating them prospectively with a minimum follow-up of 2 years. Analysis included validated functional assessments such as the Timed Up and Go Test and the Lower Extremity Measure, with results being compared to baseline measurements.
The team found that following the injury, patients experienced significant decreases in function. The mean Lower Extremity Measure score decreased from 87.7 to 62.4, with need for a walking aid increasing from 36% to 54% at the 2-year postoperative mark.
“The Timed Up and Go test scores at 4 days and 3 weeks postoperatively were significantly higher in patients who needed a walking aid at 2 years compared with independently walking patients,” the authors wrote, adding they found an optimal threshold for predicting 2-year postoperative need for a walking aid to be 58 seconds at the 4-day postoperative mark and 26 seconds at the 3-week postoperative mark.
Need for a walking aid at 2 years, they added, was 90-fold higher when the 3-week postoperative Timed Up and Go test result exceeded 26 seconds.
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Laflamme GY. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2012. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.J.01952