Multicomponent Home-based Physical Therapy Versus Usual Care for Recovery After Hip Fracture

Abstract

ObjectiveTo quantify the effect of 2 home-based 16-week multi-component physical therapy interventions on functional recovery compared to usual care after hip fracture. DesignCross-study comparison using participants from the Community Ambulation Project (CAP; a randomized controlled trial) were compared to the Baltimore Hip Studies-seventh cohort (BHS-7; an observational cohort study) at 3 different time points (CAP: 15, 31, 55 weeks; BHS-7: 8, 26, and 52 weeks). SettingGeneral community ParticipantsCombined convenience sample of hip-fracture patients 8-26 weeks post admission from a prospective cohort study and randomized controlled trial. (N=549) InterventionsCAP participants were randomized to one of 2 interventions (PUSH: specific multi-component intervention; PULSE: non-specific multi-component intervention) after standard rehabilitation; BHS-7 participants received usual care. Main Outcome MeasuresMean function (as measured by Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and gait speed) was estimated in each cohort as quadratic functions of time using data from 3 post-fracture assessments in both studies (CAP: 15, 31, 55 weeks; BHS-7: 8, 26, and 52 weeks). ResultsThe harmonized samples included 101 PUSH, 100 PULSE, and 128 BHS-7 participants that had different demographic and clinical characteristics. Mean baseline SPPB scores (meters per second) were PUSH: 5.5 (SD=2.2), PULSE: 5.5 (SD=2.4), and BHS-7: 4.6 (SD=2.5); and mean gait speeds were 0.60 m/s (SD=0.20) for PUSH, 0.59 m/s (SD=0.17) for PULSE, and 0.46 m/s SD=(0.21) for BHS-7, respectively. Estimated between-group differences for SPPB improvement from 75 days to 1-year post admission were 0.7 (P=.04) in PUSH vs BHS-7; and 0.9 (P=.01) in PULSE vs BHS-7. Mean differences in change in gait speed were 0.08 (P=.002) for PUSH vs BHS-7; and 0.06 (P=.02) PULSE vs BHS-7 (P=.02). ConclusionsFindings from this cross-study comparison that combined participants from 2 separate studies, with different designs and samples, suggest that home-based multi-component physical therapy programs were associated with greater functional improvement after hip fracture compared to usual care.