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This study aims to evaluate the impact of accelerated rehabilitation nursing on perioperative outcomes in patients with calcaneal fractures. A total of 101 patients with calcaneal fractures admitted from December 2020 to December 2022 were included in this study. Patients were randomly assigned to an observation group (OG) of 51 patients receiving accelerated rehabilitation surgical nursing and a control group (CG) of 50 patients receiving conventional surgical nursing. Outcomes assessed included patient satisfaction, visual analog scale (VAS) scores before and after surgery, swelling reduction time, and complication rates. The satisfaction rate in the OG was 96.07%, significantly higher than the 80.00% observed in the CG. Post-operative VAS scores at day 4 and 6 were significantly lower in the OG compared to the CG. Swelling reduction time was shorter in the OG (152.56 ± 25.22 hours) compared to the CG (170.76 ± 22.51 hours). Additionally, the complication rate in the OG was significantly lower at 7.84% compared to 24.00% in the CG (P < .05).the implementation of accelerated rehabilitation nursing significantly shortened the average length of hospital stay for patients in the observation group. In contrast, patients in the control group, who received conventional nursing care, had a relatively longer hospital stay. In the perioperative treatment of calcaneal fractures, accelerated rehabilitation surgical nursing can significantly improve patient satisfaction, reduce pain, shorten the time for swelling to subside, and lower the incidence of complications. Additionally, it can shorten the hospital stay for patients, demonstrating its efficacy and potential for broader clinical application., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Managing elderly, frail patients with orthopaedic injuries, remains a challenge. Their poor bone stock and associated comorbidities makes this special cohort of patients unique in terms of their needs and the risk of developing complications. Published on line in 2019 (www.boa.ac.uk/uploads/assets/04b3091a-5398-4a3c-a01396c8194bfe16/the%20care%20of%20the%20older%20or%20frail%20orthopaedic%20trauma%20patient.pdf) the British Orthopaedic Association's Standards for Trauma focusing on the care of the older or frail patient with orthopaedic injuries, provides a contemporary guide for the holistic management of the spectrum of injury and pre-existing needs of this population., (Copyright © 2020 William Eardley. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Nurses who care for acute patients with dementia in a hospital setting report a variety of challenges in regard to meeting the complex needs of their patients. In particular, known barriers to optimal care include a lack of knowledge about dementia, lack of dementia-friendly acute clinical environments, lack of time to care for the individual patient and a prioritised focus on the medical issues that triggered the hospitalisation. Research to date has not specifically focused on nurses' experiences of caring for people with dementia in orthopaedic wards., Aim: This study investigates nurses' experiences of caring for people with dementia, in an acute orthopaedic hospital ward setting., Design: Qualitative interviews., Methods: This qualitative study employs hermeneutic phenomenological research methods. Eight Danish nurses were interviewed in an orthopaedic ward about their experiences in caring for orthopaedic patients with dementia. Nurses with various levels of expertise were selected for interview so that a full range of nursing experiences could inform the research study., Results: The results of the study revealed two major themes: "Nurse communication and patient information" and "Care compromise", with three and four sub-themes, respectively. These findings are used to illustrate how, and why, nurses' experiences of caring for patients with dementia contribute a discontentment and negative preconceived perception by some nurses towards their acute care of patients with chronic dementia. The results are discussed in the context of Interactional Nursing Practice theory and describe the challenges experienced by acute care orthopaedic nurses who care for patients with dementia., Conclusion: Orthopaedic nurses find it challenging and professionally difficult to provide person-centred care for patients with dementia during an acute orthopaedic hospital admission., Implications for Practice: Orthopaedic nurses should work to adopt a positive attitude, and person-centred approach, towards dementia care. It is also recommended that the electronic patient record should be supplemented by oral dissemination to some extent, as information, plans of action and knowledge about the care situation for patients with dementia has a tendency to drown in chronological data presentation., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

In 2016, the urgent and ambulatory care service in Oxfordshire formed part of a cross-organisational partnership working group. The group consisted of Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust community minor injury units (MIUs) at Abingdon and Witney, and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) trauma and orthopaedic specialties and emergency department (ED). The aim was to redesign fracture management pathways and delivery of definitive care at patients' first point of contact with the NHS. This article discusses the implementation of the trauma pathways in two of Oxfordshire's community MIUs. In total, a range of seven common fracture pathways seen in the ED and community MIUs were redesigned so that patients were treated definitively at the first point of contact and discharged with a safety net supported by leaflets; a direct contact facility to OUH trauma specialties was part of the safety net allowing patients to self-refer to the trauma clinic if they had any concerns. In total, 513 patients were treated and discharged on see, treat and discharge fracture pathways in the first year of pathway operation, which represented a 21% decrease in patient referral rates to the trauma clinic at OUH compared with the previous year., Competing Interests: None declared, (©2019 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.)

Helen Chilvers, Senior Lecturer in Nursing, University of Lincoln, HChilvers@lincoln.ac.uk , emphasises the importance of understanding the bone-healing process and describes the care of patients with bony injuries.

Fingertip injuries in children are a common presentation in emergency settings. These injuries result from a variety of mechanisms with most occurring at home by crushing fingers in a door and are distressing for the child and parent or carer. It is essential that emergency clinicians respond competently and confidently. This article reviews the literature on the management of fingertip crush injuries to establish, where possible, best evidence. The article also describes the anatomy and assessment of the finger in relation to fractures of the distal phalanx, nail bed injury and subungual haematoma, and considers the use of antibiotics in the treatment of a subungual haematoma with a distal phalanx fracture., Competing Interests: None declared, (©2018 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.)

Aims and Objective: To estimate the increased care demand and medical costs caused by falls in nursing homes., Background: There is compelling evidence that falls in nursing homes are preventable. However, proper implementation of evidence-based guidelines to prevent falls is often hindered by insufficient management support, staff time and funding., Design: A three-round Delphi study., Methods: A panel of 41 experts, all working in nursing homes in the Netherlands, received three online questionnaires to estimate the extra hours of care needed during the first year after the fall. This was estimated for ten falls categories with different levels of injury severity, in three scenarios, that is a best-case, a typical-case and a worst-case scenario. We calculated the costs of falls by multiplying the mean amount of extra hours that the participants spent on the care for a resident after a fall with their hourly wages., Results: In case of a noninjurious fall, the extra time spent on the faller is on average almost 5 hr, expressed in euros that add to € 193. The extra staff time and costs of falls increased with increasing severity of injury. In the case of a fracture of the lower limb, the extra staff time increased to 132 hr, expressed in euros that is € 4,604. In the worst-case scenario of a fracture of the lower limb, the extra staff time increased to 284 hr, expressed in euros that is € 10,170., Conclusions: Falls in nursing homes result in a great deal of extra staff time spent on care, with extra costs varying between € 193 for a noninjurious fall and € 10,170 for serious falls., Relevance to Clinical Practice: This study could aid decision-making on investing in appropriate implementation of falls prevention interventions in nursing homes., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Pelvic fractures are one of the most serious injuries in polytrauma - massive haemorrhage is a major complication and the leading cause of death. The assessment and early management of these injuries in the Emergency Department (ED) focuses on the recognition of haemodynamic instability and should follow Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) guidelines. The log-roll technique, although an accepted practice in trauma care, has been reported to be inadvisable when a pelvic fracture is suspected. This paper, which includes a case study, briefly explains the pathophysiology and initial management of pelvic fractures. It aims to emphasise how the use of the log-roll can affect the haemodynamic stability of a patient with a pelvic fracture, highlighting gaps in research, along with the ethical and legal implications associated with polytrauma care. It also encourages practitioners to consider reasonable alternatives to the log-roll technique when beneficial and applicable., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: With the worldwide growing aging population, the high prevalence of osteoporosis-related fractures is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Healthcare costs for treating fractures and subsequent complications will increase to $25 billion by 2025., Purpose: This article articulates a comprehensive concept analysis of the nurse practitioner fracture liaison (NPFL) role to provide new insights into the role of nurse practitioner in osteoporosis care coordination., Methods: Walker and Avant's concept analysis framework was used to identify the attributes, antecedents, consequences, and empirical referents of the NPFL role. Model cases illustrated real-life examples of the NPFL role., Conclusion: The impact of NPFL role is rather novel in promoting healthy bone living at local, national, and international communities. Linking the refined outcome of the concept analysis of the NPFL role to osteoporosis care helps close osteoporosis care gaps, improve healthcare outcomes, and alleviate financial burden by reducing secondary fracture and complications.

Background: In Swiss hospitals, patients are waiting for a hip fracture surgery due to a variety of reasons, despite the guidelines recommending a rapid surgical treatment. Quantitative studies show that long delays have a negative impact on the physical and psychological health. Caregivers are confronted directly with waiting patients. Often they feel insecure and helpless, because little is known about how patients experience their waiting period. Aim: In order to derive implications for nursing care, the study describes the experiences of patients with hip fracture while waiting for this specific surgery. Method: A qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews was chosen. The data were analysed with the open coding method by Saldaña. Results: Due to recruitment problems, patients with pelvic fracture were subsequently included. The participants – 33 to 89 year old – had an average waiting time of 68 hours. This condition has been perceived as a standstill and waste of time. Adequate information and attentive care, improved the confidence in the medical team and understanding of the situation, eased the waiting period, while physical and psychological distress such as pain, immobility or worries influenced it negatively. Under these circumstances, patients could hardly occupy themselves. They let time pass and appreciated distraction by their relatives. Conclusions: Consequently, reliable, consistent information and a compassionate, attentive care are core elements in caring for patients with delayed surgery.

Osteoporosis has a significant impact on affected patients. Healthcare providers should encourage postmenopausal women to improve self-care maintenance behaviors and quality of life following a fragility fracture. The aims of this study were to a) develop two new instruments for measuring, respectively, self-care maintenance and quality of life, in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis; b) evaluate the effectiveness of a tailored educational intervention to improve self-care maintenance and quality of life after a fragility fracture in postmenopausal women. For the first aim, a cross-sectional study will be performed; for the second aim, a multicenter, quasi-experimental, interventional design will be used. A convenience sample of postmenopausal women admitted to 44 hospitals in Italy with a diagnosis of bone fragility fracture will be enrolled and surveyed at 7, 30, 60 and 180 days after discharge. Trained nurses will conduct the educational intervention. The new instruments will allow the measurement of self-care and quality of life in postmenopausal women following a fragility fracture. Through tailored educational interventions, women can be helped to take their medications correctly, adopt a healthy lifestyle, reduce the occurrence of bone fractures, and have a better quality of life.

Aims and Objectives: To investigate healthcare staff's views and experiences of caring for older hospitalised adults (aged 60+) with osteoporosis focusing on moving and handling. Specific objectives were to explore the composition of manual handling risk assessments and interventions in osteoporosis., Background: Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease that reduces bone density and causes increased fracture risk. Incidence rises with age and osteoporotic fractures cause increased morbidity and mortality. It is a major global health problem. In the UK older hospitalised adults are normally screened for falls risk but not necessarily for osteoporosis. As presentation of osteoporosis is normally silent until fractures are evident, it is frequently undiagnosed. Healthcare staff's knowledge of osteoporosis is often suboptimal and specific manual handling implications are under-researched., Design: An exploratory qualitative content analysis research design informed by critical realism., Methods: The purposive sample comprised 26 nursing and allied health professionals. Semi-structured interviews addressed topics including knowledge of osteoporosis, implications for acute care, moving and handling and clinical guidelines. Qualitative content data analysis was used., Results: Awareness of osteoporosis prevalence in older populations varies and implications for nursing are indistinct to nonspecialists. In-hospital fractures potentially linked to suboptimal moving and handling seemed rare, but prospective studies are needed. Categories of 'Understanding moving and handling as routine care or as a healthcare intervention', with further categories 'healthcare practitioners' capacities and capabilities for dealing with people with osteoporosis' and 'the structural and organisational context for moving and handling' are reported alongside safety, frailty and dependency dimensions., Conclusions: This study informs moving and handling in higher risk groups such as osteoporosis. Clinical knowledge/expertise is required when adapting generic manual handling guidelines to specific patients/contexts. Patients' experiences of moving and handling have received limited attention., Relevance to Clinical Practice: Increased focus on musculoskeletal conditions and moving and handling implications is required., (© 2016 The Authors. Journal of Clinical Nursing Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Elderly patients increasingly need to undergo surgery under anesthesia, especially following trauma. A timely interdisciplinary approach to the perioperative management of these patients is decisive for the long-term outcome. Orthogeriatric co-management, which includes geriatricians and anesthesiologists from an early stage, is of great benefit for geriatric patients. Patient age, comorbidities and self-sufficiency in activities of daily life are decisive for an anesthesiological assessment of the state of health and preoperative risk stratification. If necessary additional investigations, such as echocardiography must be carried out, in order to guarantee optimal perioperative anesthesiological management. Certain medical factors can delay the initiation of anesthesia and it is absolutely necessary that these are taken into consideration for surgical management. Not every form of anesthesia is equally suitable for every geriatric patient.

Background: Pain is one of the most common symptoms in the Emergency Department (ED) and is the cause of more than half of the visits to the ED. Several attempts to improve pain management have been done by using, for example, standards/guidelines and education. To our knowledge no one has investigated if and how different actions over a longitudinal period affect the frequency of pain documentation in the ED. Therefore the aim of this study was to describe the frequency of documented pain assessments in the ED., Method: A cross-sectional study during 2006-2012 was conducted. The care of patients with wrist/arm fractures or soft tissue injuries on upper extremities was evaluated., Result: Despite various actions our result shows that mandatory pain assessment in the patient's computerized medical record was the only successful intervention to improve the frequencies of documentation of pain assessment during care in the ED. During the study period, no documentation of reassessment of pain was found despite the fact that all patients received pain medication., Conclusion: To succeed in increasing the frequency of documented pain assessment, mandatory pain rating is a successful action. However, the re-evaluation of documented pain assessment was nonexisting., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Health care organizations must adopt a culture of safety and implement effective fall prevention protocols. The teach-back method is a useful strategy for health providers to determine patient understanding of information taught to maintain a safe environment and prevent falls. Purposeful rounding is a proactive approach to ensure that patient assessments are accurate and research supports that patients use the call light less when nurses participate in hourly rounding. This article provides the reader with evidence-based fall prevention interventions, tips for using the teach-back method, and fall prevention tools to safely care for patients of all ages., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The purpose of this study was to assess the current level of involvement of nurse practitioners (NPs) in activities related to preventing and managing fractures in long-term care (LTC). This study used a sequential explanatory mixed methods design that included two phases-a cross-sectional survey followed by qualitative interviews. A final sample of 12 NPs completed the online survey for a response rate of 67%. Eleven of the 12 NPs who completed the survey agreed to participate in a follow-up interview. NPs reported that they were quite engaged in managing fractures in LTC; specifically, they were most active in caring for residents post-fracture. NPs described their role as being holistic in nature in their assessment and treatments related to managing fractures. The findings from this mixed method study add to the growing body of knowledge related to how NPs manage fractures in LTC., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting Interests The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2015.)

Review Question: What is the effect of surgical treatment compared with conservative treatment of displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures in adults?

Birth injuries are frequently seen in newborn infants. Clavicular fractures are the most commonly encountered bony injuries seen in clinical practice. The incidence of clavicle fracture ranges from 0.35 per cent to 2.9 per cent of births and remains undetected at the time of discharge from hospital in up to 40 per cent of cases. Clinical suspicion of fractured clavicle may be raised from history (shoulder dystocia) or clinical examination (spongy feeling or crepitus on palpation). This should be confirmed with imaging studies. Parents should have the diagnosis explained and be reassured that healing without residual deformity will occur without any medical intervention. Careful documentation of any confirmed clavicle fracture is important from medico-legal aspects. We present the case of a newborn clavicular fracture associated with shoulder dystocia, following a vaginal birth,.

Proximal humerus fractures are among the most common fractures associated with osteoporosis. With an aging population, incidence of these fractures will only increase. The proximal humerus not only forms the lateral portion of the shoulder articulation but also has significant associations with musculoskeletal and neurovascular structures. As a result, fractures of the proximal humerus can significantly impact not only the function of the shoulder joint, but the health and function of the entire upper extremity as well. Understanding of these fractures, the management options, and associated nursing care, can help reduce morbidity rate and improve functional outcomes.

The incidence of fractures increases with advancing age partly due to the presence of multiple comorbidities and increased risk of falls. Common fracture sites in older people include femoral neck, distal radius and vertebral bodies. Nurses have an important role in caring for older patients who have sustained fractures, not only to maximise function and recovery, but as part of a team to minimise the morbidity and mortality associated with fractures in this group.

Management of blunt injury to the boney thorax centers on the hospital; yet, these injuries continue to impact patients long after hospitalization. The purpose of this literature review was to identify long-term outcomes associated with this injury. A literature search found 616 studies and, after screening, yielded 6 articles for review. Patient and injury characteristics and postinjury assessment findings were explored. The impact of this injury can be prolonged and life altering, prompting the need for further investigation. A greater understanding of injury-specific posthospitalization outcomes could elucidate the impact of these injuries on patients, families, and society.

Although the provision of timely and appropriate analgesia is a primary goal of Emergency Department (ED) staff, pain continues to be undertreated and some evidence supports the existence of pain treatment disparities. Despite strong incentives from accreditation organizations, pain management in the ED may still be inconsistent and problematic. The purpose of this research study was to conduct a retrospective chart review to investigate pain assessment and treatment for 200 adults (≥18 years old) admitted to the ED suffering from long-bone fractures. An additional purpose was to investigate demographic variables, including ethnicity, to determine if they influenced pain assessment, pain treatment, and wait times in the ED. Although assessment and treatment of pain is universally recognized as being important and necessary to provide optimal patient care, only 52% of patients in this study were assessed using a pain intensity scale, with 43% of those assessed reporting pain as ≥5 on a 0-10 pain intensity instrument. Pain medication was administered to 75% of the patients, but 25% of the patients received no medication. Only 24% of those receiving a pain medication were reassessed to determine pain relief. Compounding these problems were wait times for analgesia of >1 hour. Although the influence on pain management related to ethnicity was not a factor in this study, other findings revealed that undertreatment of pain, inadequate assessment, lack of documentation of pain, and lengthy wait times persist in the ED., (Copyright © 2012 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Pin site infection is the most common complication of external fixation, a complex orthopaedic procedure used to stabilise fractures and correct limb deformity. The care of pin sites has long been debated among healthcare professionals. It is widely acknowledged that there is a lack of high quality research in this area. In 2010 a meeting with the aim of achieving consensus about pin site care took place, funded by the Royal College of Nursing Society of Orthopaedic and Trauma Nursing. The aim was for practitioners who care for pin sites on a regular basis in adult, paediatric, hospital and community environments around the UK to explore and debate current practice. This article reports the findings of this meeting and discusses the difficulties in creating guidance on this area of practice.

Introduction: The purposes of this study were to investigate the adequacy of pain management for patients with long-bone fractures seen in the emergency department and to determine whether racial disparities exist., Methods: The design was an exploratory, correlational design using patient data abstract ed from electronic medical records of 2 major urban medical centers located in the Southeastern United States. Data collected included demographics, time of initial pain assessment by the registered nurse, time of pain medication administration, severity of pain, fracture location by radiograph, type of pain medication, and route-dosage of pain medication administered. The primary outcome variable, which was the pain management index, was calculated and used as a measure of adequate pain management., Results: The majority of the sample (N = 218) was female (61%) and white (63%), with 28% black and about 10% of the sample consisting of other minorities. Seventy-nine (36%) of the 218 patients received no medication while in the emergency department despite a mean pain score of 6.9 (SD = 2.5) on a 0 to 10 scale representing moderate to severe pain. Patients who received pain medication (n = 126) waited for the medication 1.76 hours (±1.47). Among the patients who received an analgesic (n = 126), younger patients, black patients, and those with higher pain severity were more likely to receive inadequate pain management than were white patients., Discussion: According to the pain management index, the majority of the patients in this study received inadequate pain management while in the emergency department. Future interventions may need to focus on giving ED nurses information about inadequate pain management and disparities in pain management in the ED setting and exploring possible reasons for disparities in order to ultimately improve patient care., (Copyright © 2012 Emergency Nurses Association. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Fractures to the pelvis can occur as a result of low-energy or high-energy trauma. Pelvic fractures may be associated with significant internal bleeding and injury to the organs within the pelvis. Patients with pelvic fractures often have complex healthcare needs; fractures resulting from high-energy trauma may be associated with multiple injuries, whereas fractures resulting from low-energy trauma, such as falls, may be associated with multiple patient comorbidities. Nurses have a fundamental role in the assessment and observation of the patient following pelvic fracture and are crucial in identifying any changes or deterioration in the patient's condition that require prompt intervention. This article focuses on the relevant anatomy of the pelvis, epidemiology and classification of pelvic fractures, and outlines the management and complications of pelvic fractures.

There is a large body of evidence to suggest that use of the Ottowa knee rules (OKR) (Stiell et al 1995) can ensure a consistent level of care for patients with acute knee injuries and that the OKR are a useful tool for autonomous practitioners. However, there is also evidence that in using the OKR, nurses tend to overestimate the extent of knee injuries. This article draws on a case study of a man who had sustained a knee injury while being tackled in a football match. During the consultation, the author, who was the duty student paramedic practitioner, and the author's mentor, who was the duty senior nurse practitioner, disagreed about the need for an X-ray of the patient's knee. After reflecting on the consultation, the author concluded that she lacked experience to deviate from a strict interpretation of the OKR when assessing knee injuries.

Introduction: Systematic implementation of guidelines in patients presenting with a fracture increases identification of patients at high risk for subsequent fractures and contributes to a decreased fracture risk. Its effect on prevention of subsequent fractures and on mortality has not been documented. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of the implementation of specific guidelines on the risk of subsequent fractures and mortality in patients presenting with a non-vertebral fracture (NVF)., Patients and Methods: Before-after impact analysis in consecutive patients older than 50 years who were admitted to the hospital with a NVF during 2 periods: pre-intervention group (n = 1,920, enrolled in 1999-2001) and intervention group (n = 1,335, enrolled in 2004-2006). The intervention consisted of a dedicated fracture nurse who systematically offered fracture risk evaluation and treatment according to available guidelines. The 2-year absolute risk (AR) and hazard ratio's (HR, with 95% confidence interval (CI)) of subsequent NVFs and mortality were analysed between both groups after adjustment for age, sex and baseline fracture location by multivariable Cox regression and by intention-to-treat., Results: The AR of subsequent fracture was 9.9% before and 6.7% after intervention, indicating a decrease of 35% in the risk of subsequent fracture (HR 0.65; CI: 0.51-0.84, after adjustment for age, sex and baseline fracture location) and 17.9% and 11.6%, respectively, for subsequent mortality, indicating a decrease of 33% in the risk of subsequent mortality (HR: 0.67; CI: 0.55-0.81, after adjustment for age, sex and baseline fracture location)., Conclusions: Systematic implementation of guidelines for fracture prevention by a dedicated fracture nurse immediately after a NVF is associated with a significant reduction of the 2-year risk of subsequent NVF and mortality., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aim: The causes of decreased activity of daily life (ADL) in elderly patients include cerebrovascular diseases, bone fracture by falls, and dementia. The present study was conducted among elderly patients with decreased ADL who were hospitalized in nursing wards in order to investigate the causes of becoming early bedridden and to determine precautionary measures against decreased ADL., Methods: The study subjects were 224 elderly patients with decreased ADL (mean age: 83.3 ± 8.0 years) and 49 outpatients without decreased ADL (mean age: 76.8 ± 5.3 years). Current age, age at the start of ADL decrease, medical history and history of smoking were investigated., Results: In the groups with decreased ADL, current age and the age of becoming bedridden in non-diabetic versus diabetic groups were 84.7 ± 7.9 versus 80.3 ± 7.5 and 82.7 ± 8.3 versus 77.6 ± 8.0 years, respectively, both showing significantly lower values in the diabetic group (P < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis revealed that sex difference and diabetes were the factors determining the age of becoming early bedridden. Diabetic patients with smoking habit were significantly younger than diabetic and non-diabetic patients without smoking habit., Conclusion: Sex difference, smoking habit and presence of diabetes mellitus are independent risk factors of becoming early bedridden. Therefore, the major targets of medical care among elderly should be diabetic men with a smoking habit to lower the risks of decreased ADL., (© 2011 Japan Geriatrics Society.)