Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 90, Issue 10 , Pages 1760-1765, October 2009

Timed Up & Go Test Score in Patients With Hip Fracture Is Related to the Type of Walking Aid

Presented to the Congress of the Danish Physical Therapy Association, March 26–28, 2009, Odense, Denmark.

  • Morten T. Kristensen, PT

      Affiliations

    • Department of Health Sciences, Division of Physical Therapy, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
    • Department of Physical Therapy, Hvidovre Hospital, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark
    • Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hvidovre Hospital, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests to Morten T. Kristensen, PT, Dept of Physical Therapy 236 and Orthopedic Surgery, Hvidovre University Hospital, Kettegaard Alle 30, Copenhagen DK-2650, Denmark
    • ,
  • Thomas Bandholm, PT, MSc

      Affiliations

    • Gait Analysis Laboratory, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hvidovre Hospital, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark
    • ,
  • Bente Holm, PT, MSc

      Affiliations

    • Department of Physical Therapy, Hvidovre Hospital, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark
    • ,
  • Charlotte Ekdahl, RPT, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Health Sciences, Division of Physical Therapy, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
    • ,
  • Henrik Kehlet, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Section of Surgical Pathophysiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark

Abstract 

Kristensen MT, Bandholm T, Holm B, Ekdahl C, Kehlet H. Timed Up & Go test score in patients with hip fracture is related to the type of walking aid.

Objective

To determine the relationship between Timed Up & Go (TUG) test scores and type of walking aid used during the test, and to determine the feasibility of using the rollator as a standardized walking aid during the TUG in patients with hip fracture who were allowed full weight-bearing (FWB).

Design

Prospective methodological study.

Setting

An acute orthopedic hip fracture unit at a university hospital.

Participants

Patients (N=126; 90 women, 36 men) with hip fracture with a mean age ± SD of 74.8±12.7 years performed the TUG the day before discharge from the orthopedic ward.

Interventions

Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measures

The TUG was performed with the walking aid the patient was to be discharged with: a walker (n=88) or elbow crutches (n=38). In addition, all patients also performed the TUG using a rollator.

Results

Patients who performed the TUG with a walker were on average 13.6 (95% confidence interval [CI], 11.2–16.1) seconds faster using a rollator compared with the walker (P<.001). Correspondingly, patients who performed the TUG with crutches were on average 3.5 (95% CI, 1.5–5.4) seconds faster using a rollator compared with elbow crutches (P=.001). In both patient groups, the between walking-aid scores were strongly correlated (r>.833, P<.001).

Conclusions

TUG scores are significantly related to the type of walking aid used during the test in patients with hip fracture who are allowed FWB when discharged from the hospital, but all patients were able to perform the TUG using the rollator as a standardized walking aid. Our findings indicate the importance of using a standardized walking aid when evaluating changes or comparing TUG scores in patients with hip fracture.

Key Words: Self-help devices, Hip fractures, Rehabilitation, Research design, Reproducibility of results

List of Abbreviations: ASA, American Society of Anesthesiologists, BBS, Berg Balance Scale, CI, confidence interval, FWB, full weight-bearing, ICC, intraclass correlation coefficient, log, logarithmic, TUG, Timed Up & Go

 

 Supported by the IMK Fonden and by the Danish Physical Therapy Association, Copenhagen, Denmark.

 No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit on the authors or on any organization with which the authors are associated.

PII: S0003-9993(09)00421-3

doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2009.05.013

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 90, Issue 10 , Pages 1760-1765, October 2009

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