Recovery of Walking Ability and Return to Community Living within 60 Days of Hip Fracture Does Not Differ Between Male and Female Survivors.

OBJECTIVES: To compare risk-adjusted differences between men and women 30 and 60 days after hip fracture surgery in not walking, ability to return home in a community-dwelling subset, not walking in a nursing home resident subset, and mortality within 60 days.

DESIGN: Cohort study.

SETTING: Data were from a randomized clinical trial that compared two blood transfusion protocols after hip fracture.

PARTICIPANTS: Individuals with hip fracture (N = 2,016; 489 (24%) male).

MEASUREMENTS: Walking, dwelling, and mortality were determined in telephone follow-up 30 and 60 days after randomization, which occurred within 3 days of surgery. Sex differences for each outcome were compared using univariate and multivariate regression adjusting for potential confounders.

RESULTS: Men were younger (P < .001) and more likely to have comorbidity (P = .003) than women at the time of hip fracture and to die within 60 days, even after risk adjustment (odds ratio (OR) = 1.76, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.15-2.69). After risk adjustment, male survivors were as likely as female survivors not to walk (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.78-1.34) and no less likely to return home (OR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.69-1.17) 60 days after hip fracture. No differences were noted between male and female nursing home residents in not walking within 60 days (OR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.32-2.86).

CONCLUSION: Although men experience higher mortality, male survivors can expect recovery of walking ability similar to that of female survivors and are as likely to return to community living.