For A.M. ReleaseWednesday, February 13, 2002
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Todd Schuetz847-384-4032, [email protected]
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Fall prevention programs can help lower bone fracture risk in adults
DALLAS--Osteoporosis and an overall decline in health and agility can put older adults at heightened risk for bone fractures. When those fractures occur, treatment can be complex and healing can be slow.
Speaking today at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons(AAOS) 69th Annual Meeting in Dallas, Frances Cuomo, M.D., stated that bone loss prevention is as important among the elderly as it is with younger adults.
"Although medicine is effective in supplementing calcium in re-building bone strength, older adults should take important steps to protect themselves from debilitating and potentially catastrophic falls and fractures," explained Dr. Cuomo.
Falls and fractures go hand-in-hand among the elderly, along with an elevated incidence of weakened bones, chronic illness, impaired vision, gait and balance disturbances due to arthritis and other factors.
A balanced diet that includes at least 1500 mg of calcium (the equivalent of three glasses of milk), 400 I.U. of vitamin D, prescription medication designed to stave off bone loss, moderate load-bearing exercise, and participation in a fall prevention program can reduce the rate of fractures.
Fall prevention programs in the home include safety measures such as the installation of safety bars in the bathtub, the elimination of heavily waxed floors and slippery rugs, and the use of shoes with wide heels and rubber soles.
In addition to increasing home safety, fall prevention programs focus on getting patients safely back into the community. "The more older adults stay inside, the less comfortable they feel about having to go out, and the more predisposed they are to injury," Dr. Cuomo said.
Fall prevention programs provide instruction from a physical therapist in safe walking, as well as assistance with the selection of a walking aid, such as a cane or walker that best suits the needs of the older adult.
"One of the most common and potentially devastating injuries among the elderly are hip fractures," said Dr. Cuomo, who moderated an instructional course entitled "Fracture Management in the Elderly." More than 300,000 Americans over the age of 60 sustained hip fractures in 1995. The costs associated with those injuries totaled $8 billion. By 2020, that number is expected to jump to 500,000 and cost $35-40 billion per year.
Women are two-and-a-half times more likely to fracture a hip than men, since the 15 to 20 years following menopause is marked by rapid bone loss. In each decade after the age of 50, a woman's risk of fracturing a hip doubles. The best time for a woman to receive treatment for bone loss is during the early postmenopausal years. Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) is believed to ward off bone loss, but may also be linked to an increased risk of breast and uterine cancer. Alternative medications are available for women with a high risk of cancer.
The treatment of fractures among the elderly poses special challenges because the thinned and weakened bones of many elderly patients hinders healing and often demands more complex care. Fractures severe enough to require surgery often involve the placement of plates and screws, devices designed to re-join the fractured portions of injured bones. Older adults are more likely to need joint replacement surgery as the result of a fracture.
The 25,500-member American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (www.aaos.org) or (http://orthoinfo.aaos.org), is a not-for-profit organization that provides education programs for orthopaedic surgeons, allied health professionals and the public.
An advocate for improved patient care, the Academy is participating in the Bone and Joint Decade (www.boneandjointdecade.org), the global initiative in the years 2000-2010 to raise awareness of musculoskeletal health, stimulate research and improve people's quality of life.
The Academy's Annual Meeting is being held February 13-17, 2002, at the Dallas Convention Center, Dallas.
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