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Mobility in Acute Care for Geriatric Patients with Orthopedic Conditions: a Review of Recent Literature

  • Geriatric Orthopedics (C Quatman and C Quatman-Yates, Section Editors)
  • Published:
Current Geriatrics Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

The purpose of this literature review is to appraise the current research surrounding the impact of mobility for geriatric patients presenting with orthopedic conditions in the acute care setting.

Recent Findings

A literature search in the PubMed database yielded 53 results which underwent a title and abstract screening to reveal a total of 22 articles eligible for full-text review. Two authors screened each article and a third author was responsible for reconciling any conflicts. Following the full-text screen, 10 total articles were extracted and evaluated to determine what the current literature has concluded about the impact of mobilization for geriatric patients with orthopedic conditions in the acute care setting. Studies are inconsistent in their dosage parameters of mobility for geriatric orthopedic patients and range in initiating protocols 6 to 24 h following surgery. Protocols and activity standards vary from 1.8 to 8.3 METs, 0 to 1000 steps per day, 15 min walks, or a 5-day mobility protocol focused on functional and strengthening activities. Studies range in reported length of stay (LOS) but infer that the earlier mobility is initiated the risk of prolonged LOS is decreased. Finally, studies report greater success with mobility protocols when multiple disciplines are educated and involved in implementation.

Summary

Despite the limitations of this study and existing literature, it is clear that integrating mobility within the first 24 h following the injury or surgical intervention does not produce additional adverse effects or increase pain intensity. This review suggests that emphasizing interprofessional collaboration when implementing a mobility protocol is vital to the success and safety of patients.

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Abbreviations

LOS:

Length of stay

DVT:

Deep venous thromboembolism

TJA:

Total joint arthroplasty

ROM:

Range of motion

TKA:

Total knee arthroplasty

THA:

Total hip arthroplasty

VCF:

Vertebral vompression fracture

VAS:

Visual analog scale

References

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, 453 W 10th Ave, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    Madison Peck, Amy Holthaus, Katelyn Kingsbury, Marka Gehrig Salsberry & Vijay Duggirala

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  1. Madison Peck
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  2. Amy Holthaus
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Correspondence to Madison Peck.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Geriatric Orthopedics

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Peck, M., Holthaus, A., Kingsbury, K. et al. Mobility in Acute Care for Geriatric Patients with Orthopedic Conditions: a Review of Recent Literature. Curr Geri Rep 9, 300–310 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13670-020-00347-1

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