Rehabilitation After a Hip Fracture: the Effects of Dietary Protein and Exercise on Bone and Muscle Health and Quality of Life

Hip fractures often lead to functional limitations, loss of independence, weight loss and decreased well-being. Only half of the patients regain their functional level and 24% die within the following year. Financial consequences are significant due to costly surgery and long-term care. Hip fracture incidence is expected to increase sharply due to the ageing population, reducing accessibility to and quality of rehabilitation care. Therefore, optimizing treatment is essential.

Previous protein and exercise studies showed improved muscle and bone health in healthy or frail community-dwelling older adults, but effects in older hip fracture patients are not known. Better rehabilitation may improve bone and muscle health, nutritional status, quality of life, lower costs and lower burden for healthcare.

The overall objective is to investigate the effectiveness, costs and cost-effectiveness of a protein-enriched diet and resistance exercise for 3 months compared to usual care on bone and muscle health, and quality of life in older adults recovering from an acute hip fracture.