Hip Protectors for Preventing Hip Fracture
- Pekka Kannus, MD, PhD;
- Jari Parkkari, MD, PhD
- Author Affiliations: Injury and Osteoporosis Research Center (Drs Kannus and Parkkari) and Tampere Research Center of Sports Medicine (Dr Parkkari), UKK Institute for Health Promotion Research; and Department of Surgery, Medical School, University of Tampere, and Division of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Department of Trauma, Musculoskeletal Surgery, and Rehabilitation, Tampere University Hospital (Dr Kannus), Tampere, Finland.
- Corresponding Author: Pekka Kannus, MD, PhD, UKK Institute for Health Promotion Research, PO Box 30, FIN-33501 Tampere, Finland (pekka.kannus{at}uta.fi).
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
Hip fractures in older individuals are a major public health concern worldwide. These fractures are expensive to treat and represent one of the most important causes of long-standing pain, functional impairment, disability, and death in this population.1-2 Experiencing a hip fracture, or even fear of the consequences of fracture, such as social withdrawal, loss of independence and confidence, and admission to a care home, can cause significant mental distress and psychological burden to older individuals.3
In osteoporosis-related research, hip fracture has been observed as a consequence of age-related bone loss or osteoporosis.2, 4-5 However, studies on the injury mechanisms of hip fracture in elderly adults have suggested that a fall onto the hip is the strongest risk factor, with the majority of fractures occurring as a result of a fall and direct trauma to the greater trochanter of the proximal femur.6 …
