Does subclinical hypothyroidism affect rehabilitation outcomes of older adult hip fracture patients admitted to a post-acute rehabilitation setting?

Conflicting data exists regarding the association between subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) and poor outcomes in orthopedic surgery rehabilitation. A retrospective study was carried out on 931 older adult (>65 years of age) hip fracture patients admitted to a post-acute rehabilitation ward. Functional improvement was measured by the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and motor FIM (mFIM) effectiveness. One hundred thirty-one patients (14.1%) out of the entire cohort were diagnosed with SCH. No significant associations were found between thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels and outcome measures (discharge FIM score, mFIM effectiveness scores, favorable functional gain and length of stay). Furthermore, no significant differences were observed in outcomes between patients with mild to moderate TSH (4.5-9.9 mIU/L) and those with markedly elevated TSH (≥10 mIU/L). the presence of SCH does not appear to negatively impact rehabilitation outcomes in older adult patients with hip fractures.