1. Introduction
fracture, fractures
ADVERSE EVENTS, SECONDARY, RECRUITMENT
Although hip fractures are common and severe, there is insufficient evidence concerning which type of rehabilitation is most beneficial. The primary aim of this three-armed pilot study was to investigate any difference in outcome after hip fractures between and within groups in terms of balance, everyday activities, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) following different home rehabilitation interventions. Further aims were to study feasibility and to suggest, if necessary, adjustments to the protocol for a future full randomized controlled trial (RCT). In total, 32 persons were included in this study. The intervention groups underwent the HIFE program with or without an inertial measurement unit, while the control group underwent standard rehabilitation. Within- and between-groups differences in outcomes and feasibility outcomes in terms of recruitment and retention rates were analyzed, and the ability to collect primary and secondary outcomes was assessed. Balance, measured as postural sway, showed no significant improvement in any group. All three groups improved in functional balance (By 2050, around 8 million hip fractures are expected to occur per year [A hip fracture increases a person’s fear of falling and, thus, restricts activity [One type of rehabilitation program is the High-Intensity Functional Exercise (HIFE) program, which contains exercises for balance, progressive strength training, and functional exercises. The HIFE program was developed for frail older adults with lower limb problems at different functional levels living in a nursing home. It is designed to help them improve balance, lower-limb strength, and mobility in their own home [In the Medical Research Council (MRC) framework for designing and evaluating complex interventions in health care, feasibility studies constitute important steps to inform further full-scale testing, e.g., by performing an RCT [The primary aim of this pilot and feasibility study was to investigate the feasibility of an RCT in terms of the rates of recruitment, retention, and adverse events, as well as regarding outcome data collection. A further aim was to study outcome differences after hip fractures regarding balance, everyday activities, and health-related quality of life across groups following different home rehabilitation interventions. Furthermore, if found necessary, suggested adjustments to the protocol could be made to conduct a full randomized controlled trial (RCT).