Are extracapsular and intracapsular hip-fracture patients two distinct rehabilitation subpopulations?

Purpose: To assess whether intracapsular and extracapsular hip fracture patients in a post-acute rehabilitation setting differ in their background characteristics and whether fracture type affects rehabilitation outcome. Methods: A retrospective cohort study. Outcome measures: Functional Independence Measure (FIM), motor FIM (mFIM), mFIM effectiveness, length of stay (LOS), and discharge destination. Various tests assessed associations (the Mann–Whitney U, the chi-square, logistic regression), population differences (t-test), and independent predictors of discharge FIM score (multiple linear regression model). Results: Six hundred and eighty-seven patients completed the rehabilitation program. The intracapsular hip fracture patient group was characterized by significantly higher percentages of males, higher education levels, and living with a caregiver compared with the extracapsular hip fracture patient group. Intracapsular hip fracture patients were younger, had longer latency time from fracture to surgery, exhibited higher functional levels on admission and upon discharge, higher cognitive function and shorter rehabilitation time than extracapsular hip fracture patients. Both study groups possessed similar comorbidities, rehabilitation achievements, and discharge destination. Regression analyses showed that the fracture type was not associated with discharge FIM score, nor with the probability of achieving a favorable functional gain. Conclusions: Post-acute extracapsular and intracapsular hip fracture patients are demographically and clinically two distinct subpopulations. Nevertheless, given additional time, extracapsular hip fracture patients will attain similar functional achievements as intracapsular hip fracture patients.Implications for rehabilitation Post-acute extracapsular and intracapsular hip fracture patients are demographically and clinically two distinct subpopulations. Given additional time, extracapsular hip fracture patients can attain similar functional achievements as intracapsular hip fracture patients.