Slips, falls and spills – it doesn’t matter what you call them, they still account for a majority of fractures in persons over the age of 65. Almost 30 percent of people 65 years or older fall each year, and the number jumps to nearly 50 percent for 80-year-olds. This trend is causing more and more injuries, with 5 percent suffering fractures and an estimated 1 percent sustaining a hip fracture, according to the New England Journal of Medicine.

If you are over the age of 65 or have a parent, grandparent or relative who is, please take the time to read our tips for preventing common falls. Studies suggest that a fall prevention program could reduce fractures by nearly 50 percent.

Common Fall Hazards at Home, courtesy of American Bone Health:

• Lighting. Poor access to switches or lamps, low lighting, a lack of night-lights and an increased lighting glare are all factors that contribute to falls. If you can’t see where you’re going, you are more apt to trip so try to provide extra lighting along the path from the bed to the bathroom for those late night trips.
• Floors or Hallway. Waxed or wet floors, worn carpets, raised-door sills, low-lying objects and clutter can all be culprits when it comes to falls. Provide non-skid rugs and carpet runners on slippery floors, repair and update worn or aging carpet and try to arrange furniture to allow easy access to all areas of the home.
• Bathroom. Low toilet seats, an inaccessible bathtub or shower and slippery surfaces are the most common bathroom hazards. Installing wall-mounted or tub-attached grab bars provide extra support. Also, utilizing a rubber shower mat can prevent shower falls.
• Stairway. Like the bathroom, a lack of handrails and slippery steps are dangerous, especially with the risk of falling down the steps. Repair worn carpet and consider applying non-skid tape or treads for grip and visibility.

Low sitting furniture can also be replaced and storage can be streamlined to prevent bending or standing on a stool to retrieve items. Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville wants to keep you and your loved ones happy and healthy, but if you do suffer a nasty fall, please see one of our physicians as soon as possible. To make an appointment, call (740) 454-3273 or visit our website.

For more information on how to treat a fracture, please read an earlier blog post by our very own Dr. Steven H. Kimberly.

In school we’re taught an “A” is always better than a “D,” but a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine shows Vitamin D could be exactly what your bones need. The study, which reanalyzed 11 clinical trials involving more than 30,000 people over the age of 64, reveals Vitamin D can help lower the risk of bone fracture. When participants took 800 units or more of Vitamin D per day, their risk of hip fracture lowered by nearly 30 percent. Their risk for all other fractures lowered by nearly 14 percent.

To put this in perspective, the typical American diet provides 300 mg of Vitamin D daily, which is less than half the amount ingested in the study mentioned above. Vitamin D is found in very few foods and is most commonly ingested as a supplement or produced as the result of sun rays.

Still, hip fractures affect an estimated 850 people per day. That’s a staggering number and with the population living longer, the number of cases will continue to rise. That’s why Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville is dedicated to prevention.

Here are some common characteristics that put people at risk for a broken hip, compliments of our friends at the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons:

• Age. The rate increases for people 65 and older.
• Gender. Women have two to three times as many hip fractures as men.
• Heredity. A family history of fractures in later life, particularly in Caucasians and Asians and a small-boned, slender body.
• Nutrition. A low calcium dietary intake or reduced ability to absorb calcium.
• Personal habits. Smoking or excessive alcohol use.
• Physical impairments. Physical frailty, arthritis, poor balance and coordination and poor eyesight.
• Mental impairments. Senility, dementia (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease).
• Medications. Weakness or dizziness due to adverse side effects of medication.

If you are 65 years or older, we urge you to take care of what you can control. Stop smoking and cut back on alcohol consumption. Also, eat a healthy and balanced diet rich in calcium and Vitamin D. Hopefully, you can avoid becoming one of the many victims of this debilitating injury.

A new study ties early menopause to osteoporosis, the disease of progressive bone loss associated with an increased risk of fractures. The 29-year study, from researchers at the Skane University Hospital in Malmö, Sweden, indicates that women who go through menopause early are twice as likely to suffer from osteoporosis later in life.

Our friends at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) offer more information on osteoporosis, which literally means porous bone and often develops unnoticed for many years.

Osteoporosis is one of the most common bone ailments, affecting nearly 28 million Americans and resulting in roughly 1.5 million bone fractures each year. Often, hip replacement results from this disease, with hip fractures totaling more than $10 billion annually, according to AAOS.

There are four main causes of osteoporosis: aging, heredity, nutrition and lifestyle, and medications or other illnesses. That last reason might surprise you, but osteoporosis has been linked to certain medications, like steroids, which make bones brittle over time.

For more information on osteoporosis and osteopenia, check out OAZ’s earlier blog posts.