Hip Protectors for Preventing Hip Fractures Among Elderly Adults

Abstract

Prevention of fractures in the elderly consists of prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, prevention of falling and prevention of fractures using injury-site protection. Since the majority of hip fractures in elderly people are caused by a sideways fall with direct impact on the greater trochanter of the proximal femur, one option to prevent the fracture is a biomechanically effective external hip protector. The biomechanical test results of an energy-shunting and energy-absorbing hip protector have demonstrated that this type of hip protector can provide an effective impact force attenuation in typical falling conditions of older adults by reducing the initial force down to the seventh part. Recent meta-analyses and systematic reviews combining findings of all different types of hip protectors suggest that in care homes and institutions with high rates of hip fracture, the use of hip protectors might help to reduce the risk of fracture to 20–60%, but there is no evidence of a public health level benefit from hip protectors for lower-risk (usually home-dwelling) elderly people.