Improving Community Ambulation After Hip Fracture

Study Summary

Activity and exercise are believed to be of benefit for reducing disability in older adults, yet the majority of older adults do not participate in regular exercise and is not active. This is especially true for older adults following hip fracture after they complete the usual rehabilitation program. This study is being done to compare two 16-week supervised multi-part physical therapy programs (interventions) initiated up to 26 weeks after hip fracture. The investigators want to test whether the interventions lead to improvements in a person's ability to walk on their own in the home and in the local community. With this knowledge the investigators hope to help a greater number of hip fracture patients enjoy a more complete recovery and improved overall health. ANCILLARY STUDY #1 - MECHANISTIC PATHWAYS TO COMMUNITY AMBULATION (CAP-MP) The goal of this ancillary study is to investigate several mechanisms thought to be related to recovery in ambulatory ability after hip fracture. Selected mechanistic pathways are being investigated by obtaining mechanistic measurements of the participants randomized in the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) clinical site of CAP. ANCILLARY STUDY #2 - DIET AND DIETARY PATTERNS IN OLDER ADULTS UNDERGOING HIP FRACTURE REHABILITATION The goal of this ancillary study is to analyze dietary patterns for the nutritional characterization of older adults recovering from a hip fracture. The identified dietary patterns, as well as motivators and barriers to intake, will be assessed for their impact on the rate of return to community ambulation in participants randomized at the University of Connecticut Health Center (UCHC) clinical site of CAP. ANCILLARY STUDY #3 - ROLE OF GLUCOSE METABOLISM IN STRENGTH AND FUNCTIONAL RECOVERY AFTER HIP FRACTURE The goal of this ancillary study is to assess the impact of glucose metabolism on strength and functional performance following resistance training in participants randomized at the UCHC clinical

Primary Outcome

The primary study outcome reflects the concept of a minimum distance a person needs to be able to walk to carry out usual activities in the community. This will be defined as achieving the threshold value of 300 meters or more on the Six-Minute Walk Test (SMWT). The SMWT is an assessment with excellent psychometric properties, and there is sound justification for a 300 m distance threshold on the SMWT (equivalent to walking at 0.8 m/s) to serve as an indicator for community ambulatory ability.

Interventions

• DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT Nutrition
• BEHAVIORAL PUSH
• BEHAVIORAL PULSE