Factors influencing postoperative functional ability of people with simple lower extremity fractures

Early restoration of functional ability of people with lower extremity fracture is essential for a speedy return to life activities, including work. Simple lower extremity fractures of working-age adults are surgically treated to regain postoperative functional ability as early as possible. Even with successful orthopedic surgery, postoperative functional improvement varies widely due to many factors. This predictive correlational study examined the predictability of educational status, psychological distress, hospital setting, quality of discharge teaching, pain with activity, and satisfaction with care on functional ability at postoperative six-week in working-age adults with simple lower extremity fractures. In three orthopedic care settings in Myanmar, 178 participants completed the Patient Data Record Form, Impact of Event Scale-Revised, Quality of Discharge Teaching Scale, Numeric Rating Scale-Pain, Patient Satisfaction with Nursing Care Quality Questionnaire, and Lower Extremity Measure. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient and hierarchical regression analysis. Results showed that psychological distress, hospital setting, quality of discharge teaching, and pain with activity were significant predictors of postoperative functional ability of people with lower extremity fractures. The significant predictors jointly explained 39.4% of the variance in postoperative functional ability. However, educational status and satisfaction with care were insignificant predictors. These findings may help nurses and other health professionals to develop programs for psychological intervention, discharge teaching, and postoperative pain control in line with the characteristics of various hospital settings. These may improve quality of nursing care and enhance clinical outcomes that help people with simple lower extremity fractures to regain independent lower extremity function and resume work as early as possible.