PUSH Plus Protein Pilot for Hip Fracture Patients

Hip fracture is a common problem among older individuals. The goal of current standard of care after hip fracture is to achieve independent, household ambulation 2-3 months after surgery, yet decreased functional ability typically persists well beyond three months and many patients never resume independent ambulation outside the home. Previous research has established that one must be able to walk at least 300 meters (\~330 yards) within 6 minutes to re-establish routine interactions in the community, such as going to the store or to church. In part, this is based on the average distance from handicapped parking spaces into most facilities. Activity and exercise are believed to be of benefit for reducing disability in older adults, yet the majority of older adults does 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 research study is being done to test a 16-week, multi-part exercise intervention for hip fracture patients that will be supervised by specially trained physical therapists (PTs). The exercise intervention uses a novel machine to provide strength and endurance training in the home. This has been shown in smaller studies to be safe and effective at increasing strength. The purpose of this small pilot study is to test whether adding a protein supplement to the exercise intervention leads to more improvements in a person's ability to walk in their own home and in the local community. With this knowledge, investigators hope to help a greater number of hip fracture patients enjoy a more complete recovery and improved overall health. In addition to providing important information on adherence, feasibility, and safety, this pilot study of hip fracture patients has the unique advantage of being able to compare data to two recently completed studies where participants received the PUSH intervention without protein supplementation.