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Bridget M. Kuehn

JAMA. 2009;302(8):838.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Nearly 50 000 older adults are treated for injuries related to falls involving a walker or cane each year in the United States, estimate scientists from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The estimate was based on an analysis of surveillance data on about 4000 falls among adults aged 65 years or older involving walkers or canes between January 2001 and December 2006 (Stevens JA et al. J Am Geriatr Soc. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2009.02365.x [published online ahead of print June 23, 2009]).

Of the falls analyzed, nearly 90% occurred among individuals using walkers. The most common injuries were fractures, contusions, and abrasions, and about one-third of the persons who fell while using a walking aid were hospitalized for their injuries. The authors said that clinicians should spend more time making sure that patients can safely use these devices, and that more research is needed on the . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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