Preinjury Mobility Predicts Adults” Recovery After Lower-Extremity Fracture

THURSDAY, May 15, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Preinjury mobility data predicts recovery following a lower-extremity fracture in adults, according to a proof-of-concept study published online April 28 in the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.

Brian M. Shear, M.D., from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, and colleagues assessed whether preinjury mobility data, combined with demographic and injury data, reliably predicted recovery six or more months after the surgical treatment of a lower-extremity fracture. Analysis included 107 adult patients (mean age, 45 years).

The researchers found that preinjury function strongly predicted postinjury mobility in all models. Average daily step count increased by 65 steps each week after the injury. Within six weeks postinjury, weekly gains were significantly greater (92 daily steps per week), compared to 20 to 26 weeks postinjury (19 daily steps per week). There was an association between greater preinjury steps and increased postinjury mobility (301 daily steps postinjury per 1,000 steps preinjury). While mean walking speed declined by 0.200 m/s from injury to eight weeks postinjury, average walking speed increased from 12 to 26 weeks postinjury by 0.071 m/s.

“This novel approach has the potential to reshape how orthopedic care is delivered — empowering patients with clearer expectations, enabling earlier detection of complications, and supporting more personalized, data-driven recovery plans,” Shear said in a statement. “We also have an app under development to support this work, with plans to launch multicenter trials later this year.”

One author disclosed ties to the medical device industry.

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