hip x-ray

The risk of hip fracture was reduced nearly three-fold among elderly care facility residents who wore hip protectors, a new study has found.

Investigators followed residents living in 14 long-term care facilities who experienced at least one recorded fall in a one-year period. About 60% of residents were wearing hip protectors at the time of their fall.

The study also provided insight into the characteristics of residents who were more likely to use these products. The researchers found that those who had moderate to severe cognitive impairment, wandering behavior, cardiac dysrhythmia, used a cane or walker, and experienced bladder incontinence were more likely to be wearing hip protectors at the time of falling.

These findings align with previous research, which found that residents at risk for falls and fractures are more likely to accept and adhere to advice to wear hip protectors, reported Alexandra M.B. Korall, Ph.D., and colleagues from Simon Fraser University in Canada.

The study also showed that residents taking anti-anxiety medications were less likely to have been wearing hip protectors at the time of a fall. The researchers tied this finding to previous observations that anxious or resistive behavior is linked to fewer hours of hip protector use among skilled care residents.

Hip protectors are garments with soft pads or hard domes that are secured adjacent to the greater trochanter of the femur. They absorb or divert energy away from the femur to less vulnerable tissues during a fall.

The study was published in the November issue of JAMDA.