A systematic review of evidence regarding the association between time to mobilization following hip fracture surgery and patient outcomes

Aims: Performance indicators are increasingly used to evaluate the quality of healthcare provided to patients following a hip fracture. In this systematic review, we investigated the association between ‘early mobilization’ after surgery and patient outcomes. Methods: Evidence was searched through 1...

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Main Authors: Veena Mazarello Paes, Andrew Ting, James Masters, Mahalia V. I. Paes, Simon Mathew Graham, Matthew L. Costa, On behalf of the HIPCARE investigators*
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: The British Editorial Society of Bone & Joint Surgery 2025-07-01
Series:Bone & Joint Open
Subjects:
Online Access:https://online.boneandjoint.org.uk/doi/epdf/10.1302/2633-1462.67.BJO-2024-0243.R1
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author Veena Mazarello Paes
Andrew Ting
James Masters
Mahalia V. I. Paes
Simon Mathew Graham
Matthew L. Costa
On behalf of the HIPCARE investigators*
author_facet Veena Mazarello Paes
Andrew Ting
James Masters
Mahalia V. I. Paes
Simon Mathew Graham
Matthew L. Costa
On behalf of the HIPCARE investigators*
author_sort Veena Mazarello Paes
collection DOAJ
description Aims: Performance indicators are increasingly used to evaluate the quality of healthcare provided to patients following a hip fracture. In this systematic review, we investigated the association between ‘early mobilization’ after surgery and patient outcomes. Methods: Evidence was searched through 12 electronic databases and other sources. The methodological quality of studies meeting the inclusion criteria was assessed. The protocol for this suite of related systematic reviews was registered at PROSPERO: ID = CRD42023417515. Results: A total of 24,507 articles were reviewed, and 20 studies met the inclusion criteria for the review, involving a total of 317,173 patients aged over 60 years with a hip fracture. There were two randomized clinical trials, five prospective studies, and 13 retrospective cohort studies, conducted between January 1981 and June 2022. All but two studies came from high-income healthcare systems. The definition of early mobilization varied across studies and health systems; and weightbearing status was often not reported or ambiguously defined, making formal meta-analysis of the data impossible. Early mobilization (within 48 hours of surgery) was associated with improved outcomes in 29 of the 33 patient-reported outcomes, including improved mobility scores and improved assessments of daily activities of living. A total of 45 out of 51 clinical outcomes derived from hospital records showed a positive association with early mobilization, including reduced rates of postoperative complications, reduced length of acute hospital stay, and lower mortality. Conclusion: Early mobilization after surgery for hip fracture in older people is associated with improved patient-reported outcomes and reduced length of hospital stay. Standardization of the definition of early mobilization and consistent reporting of weightbearing status would improve future evidence synthesis. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2025;6(7):741–747.
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spelling doaj-art-c4888621e0ef4ff6a5fe31ff86ac9b302025-08-20T02:46:24ZengThe British Editorial Society of Bone & Joint SurgeryBone & Joint Open2633-14622025-07-016774174710.1302/2633-1462.67.BJO-2024-0243.R1A systematic review of evidence regarding the association between time to mobilization following hip fracture surgery and patient outcomesVeena Mazarello Paes0Andrew Ting1James Masters2Mahalia V. I. Paes3Simon Mathew Graham4Matthew L. Costa5On behalf of the HIPCARE investigators*Oxford Trauma and Emergency Care, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKOxford Trauma and Emergency Care, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKOxford Trauma and Emergency Care, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKQueen Mary University of London, London, UKOxford Trauma and Emergency Care, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKOxford Trauma and Emergency Care, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKAims: Performance indicators are increasingly used to evaluate the quality of healthcare provided to patients following a hip fracture. In this systematic review, we investigated the association between ‘early mobilization’ after surgery and patient outcomes. Methods: Evidence was searched through 12 electronic databases and other sources. The methodological quality of studies meeting the inclusion criteria was assessed. The protocol for this suite of related systematic reviews was registered at PROSPERO: ID = CRD42023417515. Results: A total of 24,507 articles were reviewed, and 20 studies met the inclusion criteria for the review, involving a total of 317,173 patients aged over 60 years with a hip fracture. There were two randomized clinical trials, five prospective studies, and 13 retrospective cohort studies, conducted between January 1981 and June 2022. All but two studies came from high-income healthcare systems. The definition of early mobilization varied across studies and health systems; and weightbearing status was often not reported or ambiguously defined, making formal meta-analysis of the data impossible. Early mobilization (within 48 hours of surgery) was associated with improved outcomes in 29 of the 33 patient-reported outcomes, including improved mobility scores and improved assessments of daily activities of living. A total of 45 out of 51 clinical outcomes derived from hospital records showed a positive association with early mobilization, including reduced rates of postoperative complications, reduced length of acute hospital stay, and lower mortality. Conclusion: Early mobilization after surgery for hip fracture in older people is associated with improved patient-reported outcomes and reduced length of hospital stay. Standardization of the definition of early mobilization and consistent reporting of weightbearing status would improve future evidence synthesis. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2025;6(7):741–747.https://online.boneandjoint.org.uk/doi/epdf/10.1302/2633-1462.67.BJO-2024-0243.R1performance indicatorsquality standardship fracturefragility fractureearly mobilizationweightbearing statussystematic reviewtraumahip fracture surgeryhip fracturepatient-reported outcomesrandomized clinical trialsclinical outcomesretrospective cohort studiespostoperative complicationsprospective studiesdeep vein thrombosis12-item short form survey (sf-12)
spellingShingle Veena Mazarello Paes
Andrew Ting
James Masters
Mahalia V. I. Paes
Simon Mathew Graham
Matthew L. Costa
On behalf of the HIPCARE investigators*
A systematic review of evidence regarding the association between time to mobilization following hip fracture surgery and patient outcomes
Bone & Joint Open
performance indicators
quality standards
hip fracture
fragility fracture
early mobilization
weightbearing status
systematic review
trauma
hip fracture surgery
hip fracture
patient-reported outcomes
randomized clinical trials
clinical outcomes
retrospective cohort studies
postoperative complications
prospective studies
deep vein thrombosis
12-item short form survey (sf-12)
title A systematic review of evidence regarding the association between time to mobilization following hip fracture surgery and patient outcomes
title_full A systematic review of evidence regarding the association between time to mobilization following hip fracture surgery and patient outcomes
title_fullStr A systematic review of evidence regarding the association between time to mobilization following hip fracture surgery and patient outcomes
title_full_unstemmed A systematic review of evidence regarding the association between time to mobilization following hip fracture surgery and patient outcomes
title_short A systematic review of evidence regarding the association between time to mobilization following hip fracture surgery and patient outcomes
title_sort systematic review of evidence regarding the association between time to mobilization following hip fracture surgery and patient outcomes
topic performance indicators
quality standards
hip fracture
fragility fracture
early mobilization
weightbearing status
systematic review
trauma
hip fracture surgery
hip fracture
patient-reported outcomes
randomized clinical trials
clinical outcomes
retrospective cohort studies
postoperative complications
prospective studies
deep vein thrombosis
12-item short form survey (sf-12)
url https://online.boneandjoint.org.uk/doi/epdf/10.1302/2633-1462.67.BJO-2024-0243.R1
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