Participants , over 65 , recruited within 7 days following hip fracture surgery from 3 Australia hospitals , were randomly allocated to receive a loading dose of vitamin D3 ( 250,000 IU ) or placebo , followed by oral maintenance vitamin D3/calcium ( 800 IU/500 mg ) and the usual hip fracture rehabilitation pathway.Demographic and clinical data were collected , including surgical procedure , pre-fracture functional status , Mini Mental State Examination ( MMSE ) score , serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D ( 25-OHD ) , Verbal Rating Scale ( VRS ) for pain , grip strength and gait velocity .