Table 4.
Baseline Characteristics and Weightbearing Status of Patients With Unstable and Stable Fractures (N = 141).
| Variable | Unstable (n = 36) | Stable (n = 105) | Univariate P-value* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 74.2 ± 7.4 | 72.4 ± 7.5 | 0.101 |
| Sex | 0.290 | ||
| Female | 28 (77.8%) | 77 (73.3%) | |
| Male | 8 (22.2%) | 28 (26.7%) | |
| Charlson comorbidity index score | 2.8 ± 2.8 | 1.7 ± 1.7 | 0.189 |
| Diagnosis of dementia | 9 (25.0%) | 7 (6.7%) | 0.005 |
| Opioid prescription | 7 (19.4%) | 15 (14.3%) | 0.462 |
| Ambulatory status | 0.002 | ||
| Independent community | 22 (61.1%) | 93 (88.6%) | |
| Independent with assistive devices | 9 (25.0%) | 8 (7.6%) | |
| Wheelchair and self-transfers | 2 (5.6%) | 3 (2.9%) | |
| Wheelchair-bound | 3 (8.3%) | 1 (1.0%) | |
| Living environment | 0.025 | ||
| Independent home | 25 (69.4%) | 91 (86.7%) | |
| Assisted living | 10 (27.8%) | 13 (12.4%) | |
| Transitional care unit | 1 (2.8%) | 0 (0.0%) | |
| Long-term care facility | 0 (0.0%) | 1 (1.0%) | |
| Assistance personnel present | 0.375 | ||
| Visiting family | 4 (11.1%) | 1 (1.0%) | |
| In-house family | 20 (55.6%) | 81 (77.1%) | |
| Visiting nursing/professionals | 2 (5.6%) | 2 (1.9%) | |
| In-house nursing/professionals | 8 (22.2%) | 11 (10.5%) | |
| Time from DOI a (days) | 9.5 ± 12.1 | 9.6 ± 15.3 | 0.928 |
| Initial weight-bearing | 0.006 | ||
| NWB b | 25 (69.4%) | 47 (44.8%) | |
| PWB c | 4 (11.1%) | 6 (5.7%) | |
| WBAT d | 7 (19.4%) | 52 (49.5%) | |
| Early weight-bearing | 15 (41.7%) | 70 (66.7%) | 0.008 |
| Time until early weight-bearing (days) | 4.6 ± 5.3 | 2.3 ± 3.7 | 0.156 |
*One-sample t-tests were conducted for continuous variables. One-proportion z-tests, Chi-square, and Fisher exact tests were conducted for categorical variables as appropriate. Bold text indicates statistical significance. Significance set at P = 0.05.
aDOI = Date of injury.
bNWB = non-weightbearing.
cPWB = partial weightbearing.
dWBAT = weightbearing as tolerated.