Image of male nurse pushing senior woman in a wheelchair in nursing facility

Undiagnosed neurological conditions such as cervical myelopathy could be the reason for many falls and hip fractures in the elderly, new research shows.

In a small study of 28 hip fracture patients and 35 hip replacement patients,18% of the hip fracture patients tested positive for cervical myelopathy. It is a neurological disorder that inhibits balance and coordination. Researchers assert that screening for cervical myelopathy should be standard in hip fracture patients to lower the risk of falls and fractures.

The study was presented Thursday at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in San Francisco.