Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) in elective intertrochanteric fracture patients result in reduced length of hospital stay (LOS) without compromising functional outcome

BACKGROUND: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) has rapidly gained popularity among hip or knee arthroplasty area which can decrease hospital length of stay (LOS). However, limited data exist regarding its safety and efficacy among intertrochanteric fracture patients. The purpose of this study was to determine if LOS associated with intertrochanteric fracture patients can be improved following an existing orthopedic ERAS procedure. METHODS: We reviewed the outcomes of all patients who had been treated with the PFNA intramedullary fixation at our institution. Open fractures, metastatic pathological fractures, patients unable to walk independently before fracture and patients with Alzheimer's disease were excluded. A quasi-experimental study was adopted between patients treated in an ERAS after intramedullary fixation with those rehabilitated on a traditional pathway. Clinical and demographic data were collected among the two pathway cohorts including LOS, Harris hip scores (HHS), visual analog scale (VAS), and activity of daily living scale (ADL). RESULTS: A total of 100 intertrochanteric fracture patients (ERAS pathway 50 cases, traditional care pathway 50 cases) were selected between January 2016 and December 2017 met the inclusion criteria. ERAS procedure was associated with shorter LOS, lower postoperative VAS scores, reduced opioid consumption, earlier mobilization, significant improvement in the mean HHS scores at 3 months postoperatively, lower risk of complications, lower rates of readmission, and reoperation and higher likelihood of being discharged home. The mean LOS decreased from 8.21 ± 0.83 days to 5.82 ± 0.64 days after implementation of the evidence-based orthopedic ERAS pathway (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This series of intertrochanteric fracture patients treated with the orthopedic ERAS procedure demonstrated that the procedure is capable of reducing LOS and preserving hip function without compromising functional outcome. This improvement was possible without a concomitant increase in postoperative complications and readmission rates. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.