Relationship between functional independence measure scores and timed up-and-go time in postoperative elderly patients with vertebral and hip fractures

[Purpose] To analyze the correlation between the timed up-and-go time and functional independence measure total score in postoperative elderly patients with vertebral and hip fractures. [Participants and Methods] The total functional independence measure scores and timed up-and-go times of 87 Japanese patients aged ≥65 years with a history of vertebral or hip fracture surgery were analyzed. Patients were classified based on age (<85 or ≥85 years), sex (female or male), fracture type (vertebral or hip fracture), and postoperative period (early or late). [Results] In the comparative analyses between the two datasets within the groups, significant differences were observed in functional independence measure scores and timed up-and-go times between patients in the early and late postoperative periods. In the correlation analyses using functional independence measure scores and timed up-and-go times, significant negative correlations were observed in all groups, except for one group of patients in the late postoperative period. In the contingency table analyses, several patients with low functional independence measure scores had a timed up-and-go time of >35 s. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that a timed up-and-go time of >35 s can be a predictive marker of nursing care requirement in the early postoperative period. [Conclusion] In the present study, we clarified the relationship between functional independence measure score and timed up-and-go time in postoperative elderly patients with vertebral and hip fractures and confirmed that timed up-and-go time is a predictive marker of nursing care requirement.