Prospective Cohort to Investigate Protein Intake, Nutritional Status, and Recovery After Hip Fracture

Among older adults, hip fractures are a significant cause of morbidity, mortality, and substantial healthcare costs, often leading to severe functional decline. While population aging increases the prevalence of such injuries, current rehabilitation strategies could be optimized. There's a critical gap in understanding how modifiable factors, particularly protein intake and overall nutritional status, influence the degree of recovery and long-term outcomes after a hip fracture. Identifying these predictive factors is crucial for developing targeted interventions to improve patient recovery and reduce the burden on healthcare systems.

This study outlines a 3-month prospective cohort study designed to enroll adults aged 70 years and older who have sustained an acute hip fracture. The primary objective is to investigate the association between protein intake and nutritional status with key recovery metrics. Researchers will also explore how various patient characteristics and other modifiable factors predict outcomes such as mobility, clinical frailty, living situation, and mortality. The study aims to gather knowledge on how these nutritional and patient-specific factors collectively predict the extent of recovery, specifically in terms of bone health and physical functioning, three months post-fracture.