Cureus · Jul 15, 2025

Frailty Screening in Elderly Patients With Hip Fractures: Predicting Poor Outcomes and Optimizing Clinical Management

By Poulios P, Kar S, Mallick A

AIM: This study aims to determine the prevalence of frailty among older adults with a hip fragility fracture and its correlation with outcomes such as the risk of postoperative complications, mortality, and hospitalization duration. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study was a retrospective observational study conducted at a university-affiliated hospital. The study included 99 patients aged over 65 who had been treated for hip fragility fractures. The participants' frailty was assessed using the frail-to-fit index calculator, and Glegg's criteria were used to stratify the patients into four severity levels. The study employed univariate and multivariate analyses to investigate the correlation between frailty severity and outcomes such as the risk of complications, mortality, and length of hospital stay, as well as to examine the relationship between frailty and other factors. RESULTS: The study found that 61% of the patients were classified as frail. Among the participants, 37.4% developed at least one postoperative complication, and 11.1% died. Patients with lower frailty scores had a lower risk of developing complications and mortality compared to those with advanced frailty. The hospitalization duration was significantly longer for patients with high frailty scores than those with low scores. CONCLUSION: This study provides important insights into managing older adults with hip fragility fractures and highlights the importance of addressing frailty in clinical practice. The study concluded that frailty is a common phenomenon among older adults with hip fragility fractures and is associated with a poorer prognosis, including an increased risk of postoperative complications, mortality, and prolonged hospitalization. Therefore, assessing frailty is essential for improving clinical outcomes when planning a patient's care and discussing their prognosis.

doi.org/10.7759/cureus.88016 Open access PubMed 40821218 Biomarkers