Wrist Fractures Associated With Poor Balance in Older Adults

According to a study published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, elderly patients suffering or who had suffered a low-energy wrist fracture are more likely to have difficulties with balance, placing them at risk for future injuries (2016. 98(14):1176-1182).

Lead author Craig R Lour, MD, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, MO, and colleagues evaluated 46 participants at a single tertiary institution. Participants were excluded from the study if they had a history of an event or illness that impairs balance, such as a stroke, seizure, or vertigo.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
RELATED CONTENT
Yoga improves balance and mobility for older people
Exercise for balance can help older women avoid falls, injuries
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Of the 46 patients, 23 had been treated for wrist fracture within the past 6 to 24 months (age 65 years or older at the time of injury), and 23 were age- and sex-matched control participants without a prior fracture. In the wrist fracture group, the injury was caused by a low-energy fall without a major traumatic event.

All study participants received a dynamic motion analysis (DMA) score after assessment on a moving, computerized platform. They also were interviewed about their bone-health history, including whether or not they had received a dual x-ray absorptiometry scan (DXA), vitamin D and calcium supplementation, and/or if they were taking medication for osteoporosis. They also were asked about prior falls, musculoskeletal injuries and conditions, and received common general health, physical activity, and health status surveys and tests.

Researchers found that the fracture cohort demonstrated poorer balance, with higher DMA scores at 933 points compared with 790 points for the control cohort (P = 0.008). Nineteen patients (83%) in the fracture cohort reported having DXA scans within 5 years prior to this study, but only 2 patients (9%) had ever been referred for balance training with physical therapy.

“Our study finds that older adults who sustain a wrist fracture are more likely to have poor balance compared to those who have not sustained this injury,” said Dr Louer. “These fractures should signal the need for an evaluation and possible treatment for balance deficits to decrease the risk of subsequent higher risk injuries, such as hip or spine fractures.”

There were no significant differences in age, sex, body mass index, physical activity score, or general health in both groups of participants. —Amanda Del Signore