Summary
The results from two recent RCTs indicate little additional efficacy of weight-bearing
exercise compared with nonweight-bearing exercise on measures of strength, balance,
gait, and functional performance. Although one study found significant improvements
in some balance and functional performance measures at the 4-month follow-up, the
other study found no significant between-group differences at 2-weeks follow-up. There
was a discrepancy in the timing of the exercises following fracture that may have
affected the results: exercises were commenced at a mean of 156 days in one study
and 18 days in the other. Methodologically rigorous randomized controlled trials with
larger populations are necessary to establish the superiority of weight-bearing exercise
following hip fractures.
