JAMDA
Volume 8, Issue 4 , Pages 229-232 , May 2007

The Use of Hip Protectors in Long-Term Care Facilities: A Survey of Nursing Home Staff

  • Anna M. Sawka, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Division of Endocrinology and Department of Medicine, University Health Network and University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence to Anna M. Sawka, MD, PhD, Toronto General Hospital, 200 Elizabeth Street, Eaton North 12-212, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 2C4.
    • ,
  • Madeline Nixon, MSc

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
    • ,
  • Lora Giangregorio, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
    • ,
  • Lehana Thabane, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Centre for Evaluation of Medicines, St. Joseph’s Healthcare, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
    • Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
    • ,
  • Jonathan D. Adachi, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
    • Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, St. Joseph’s Healthcare, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
    • ,
  • Amiram Gafni, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
    • Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
    • ,
  • Ron Goeree, MA

      Affiliations

    • Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
    • Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
    • Program for Assessment of Technology in Health (PATH), St Joseph’s Healthcare, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
    • ,
  • Parminder Raina, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
    • ,
  • Jennifer Ranford, MA

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
    • ,
  • Alexandra Papaioannou, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
    • Division of Geriatrics and Department of Medicine, Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

References 

  1. Weller I, Schatzker J. Hip fractures and Alzheimer’s disease in elderly institutionalized Canadians. Ann Epidemiol. 2004;14(5):319–324
  2. Chandler JM, Zimmerman SI, Girman CJ, et al. Low bone mineral density and risk of fracture in white female nursing home residents. J Amer Med Assoc. 2000;284(8):972–977
  3. Singh S, Sun H, Anis AH. Cost-effectiveness of hip protectors in the prevention of osteoporosis related hip fractures in elderly nursing home residents. J Rheumatol. 2004;31(8):1607–1613
  4. Lauritzen JB. Hip fractures (Epidemiology, risk factors, falls, energy absorption, hip protectors, and prevention). Dan Med Bull. 1997;44(2):155–168
  5. Cumming RG. Nursing home residence and risk of hip fracture. Am J Epidemiol. 1996;143(12):1191–1194
  6. Brennan nee Saunders J, Johansen A, Butler J, et al. Place of residence and risk of fracture in older people: a population-based study of over 65-year-olds in Cardiff. Osteoporos Int. 2003;14(6):515–519
  7. Ooms ME, Vlasman P, Lips P, et al. The incidence of hip fractures in independent and institutionalized elderly people. Osteoporos Int. 1994;4(1):6–10
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  9. Butler M, Norton R, Lee-Joe T, et al. The risks of hip fracture in older people from private homes and institutions. Age Ageing. 1996;25(5):381–385
  10. Vu MQ, Weintraub N, Rubenstein LZ. Falls in the nursing home: Are they preventable?. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2004;5(6):401–406
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  14. Buchner DM, Larson EB. Falls and fractures in patients with Alzheimer-type dementia. J Amer Med Assoc. 1987;257(11):1492–1495
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  16. Melton LJ, Beard CM, Kokmen E, et al. Fracture risk in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1994;42(6):614–619
  17. Wiktorowicz ME, Goeree R, Papaioannou A, et al. Economic implications of hip fracture: Health service use, institutional care and cost in Canada. Osteoporos Int. 2001;12(4):271–278
  18. Parkkari J, Kannus P, Poutala J, et al. Force attenuation properties of various trochanteric padding materials under typical falling conditions of the elderly. J Bone Miner Res. 1994;9(9):1391–1396
  19. Kannus P, Parkkari J, Poutala J. Comparison of force attenuation properties of four different hip protectors under simulated falling conditions in the elderly: An in vitro biomechanical study. Bone. 1999;25(2):229–235
  20. Robinovitch SN, Hayes WC, McMahon TA. Energy-shunting hip padding system attenuates femoral impact force in a simulated fall. J Biomech Eng. 1995;117(4):409–413
  21. Sawka AM, Boulos P, Beattie K, et al. Do hip protectors decrease the risk of hip fracture in institutional and community-dwelling elderly? (A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials). Osteoporos Int. 2005;16:1461–1474
  22. Parker MJ, Gillespie WJ, Gillespie LD. Effectiveness of hip protectors for preventing hip fractures in elderly people: Systematic review. BMJ. 2006;332:571–574
  23. Parker MJ, Gillespie WJ, Gillespie LD. Effectiveness of hip protectors for preventing hip fractures in elderly people: Systematic review. BMJ. 2006;332:571–574
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  26. Warnke A, Meyer G, Bender R, et al. Predictors of adherence to the use of hip protectors in nursing home residents. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2004;52:340–345
  27. Maki-Joela P, Valvanne J, Jantti P, et al. Experiences with external hip protectors in homes for the aged: A report from Finland. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2002;3:29–31
  28. Forsen L, Sandvig S, Schuller A, et al. Compliance with hip protectors in nursing homes in Norway. Inj Prev. 2004;10:344–349
  29. Thomas DR. Wearing the hip protector. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2003;4:281–282
  30. Burl J, Centola J, Bonner A, Burque C. Hip protector compliance: A 13-month study on factors and cost in a long-term care facility. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2003;4:245–250
  31. Maki-Jokela P, Valvanne J, Jantti P, Heikinheimo R. Experiences with external hip protectors in homes for the aged: A report from Finland. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2002;3:29–31
  32. Harada A, Matsui Y, Mizuno M, et al. Japanese orthopedists’ interests in prevention of fractures in the elderly from falls. Osteoporos Int. 2004;15:560–566
  33. Rubenstein L. Hip protectors: Another useful report from Finland. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2002;3:32–33

 This study was funded by an Interdisciplinary Capacity Enhancement (ICE) Team Grant focused on Reducing the Burden of Injury in Canada from The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Co-investigators on the ICE project are P. Raina, C. Macarthur, P. Holowaty, A. Howard, B. Morrongiello, and H. Shannon. Reviewers from the sponsoring agency provided a critique of the study design and methods at the grant application stage but the sponsoring agency had no further direct role in the study. Anna Sawka is a Canadian Institutes of Health Research New Investigator.

 The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare related to the subject of this manuscript.

PII: S1525-8610(06)00625-6

doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2006.12.023

JAMDA
Volume 8, Issue 4 , Pages 229-232 , May 2007

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