Los Angeles: Former US first lady Nancy Reagan has been hospitalised after breaking her pelvis in a fall at her home in California, her spokeswoman confirmed.
Reagan's spokeswoman Joanne Drake yesterday said in a statement that the 87-year-old widow of former president Ronald Reagan admitted herself to hospital after suffering a fall last week and "experiencing persistent pain."
Tests at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Centre showed she had suffered a fracture to her pelvis and sacrum, Drake said.
"She will remain at UCLA for a few days -- until doctors are satisfied with her progress -- and then return home," Drake said, adding that her recovery would take "six to eight weeks." "Mrs Reagan is in good spirits, especially comforted to be receiving care from talented doctors in a world-class hospital named in honour of her late husband," Drake added.
It is the second time this year Reagan has been hospitalised. In February she was admitted to a hospital in Santa Monica with a suspected fractured hip. She was later released after it was determined she had no broken bones.
Often criticised during her husband's 1981-1989 presidency, the former actress is now widely viewed with affection across the United States.
Her image underwent a transformation following disclosure that Ronald Reagan had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1994, with the former first lady shielding her husband from the public and becoming an outspoken campaigner for research into the condition.
Ronald Reagan died in 2004 after a long battle with the illness.
