Frontiers in Medicine · Oct 29, 2026
Multicomponent exercise intervention impact on recovery outcomes in frail older adult patients with trochanteric femoral fractures: a quasi-experimental study
By Lin H, Wang Y, He Y et al.
Purpose: This study investigated Trochanteric femoral fractures (TFFs) in frail older adult patients who are at high risk of complications and increased mortality, thereby imposing a significant economic burden on healthcare systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a multicomponent exercise intervention compared with conventional care in promoting recovery outcomes in older adult patients with frailty post-TFF surgery. Patients and methods: In this quasi-experimental study with a historical (non-concurrent) control group, we analyzed 120 frail patients with TFFs who were treated with intramedullary nailing between January 2023 and December 2024. Patients were divided into a control group receiving conventional care and an observation group receiving multicomponent exercise interventions, both receiving interventions for 3 months. The multicomponent intervention comprised strength, balance, flexibility, and aerobic exercises, was delivered by a multidisciplinary team, and was progressed from bed-based to standing and walking training. The modified Barthel index (MBI) and Functional Independence Measure (FIM) tools were used to evaluate the rehabilitation status of the two patient groups. The Harris Hip Score (HHS) was used as a secondary outcome to assess hip function. The Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) score was used to evaluate frailty. The 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) was used to assess quality of life. Results: After the intervention, the MBI, FIM, and SF-36 scores of the observation group were statistically significantly higher than those of the control group ( P < 0.05). The CFS was significantly lower in the observation group than in the control group ( P < 0.05). The HHS score was significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group ( P < 0.05). Conclusion: These findings suggest the potential benefits of multicomponent exercise interventions in enhancing rehabilitation outcomes and reducing frailty in older adult patients with TFFs, indicating a promising direction for future clinical practice. Future studies should explore the scalability of these interventions across diverse settings and populations to refine and validate the therapeutic strategies identified in this study.