Walking Aids Could Be Hazardous for the Elderly

About 47,000 older Americans are treated in emergency rooms each year from falls associated with walkers and canes, according to a study that suggests that there is room for improvement in the use and design of walking aids.

Researchers at the at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, Atlanta, GA, USA) examined emergency-room medical records from 66 hospitals across the United States between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2006. The researchers focused on patients 65 and older who had been treated for 3,932 nonfatal, unintentional fall injuries in which a cane or a walker was involved.

The researchers extrapolated these results, and estimated that 47,312 fall injuries associated with walking aids are treated each year among older Americans, with 87% of fall injuries involved walkers and 12% involved canes; 60% of fall injuries associated with walkers and canes occurred at home, while 16% of falls involving a walker occurred at nursing homes. The researchers found that fractures, bruises, and abrasions were the most common injuries associated with the falls; almost a third of all injuries were to the lower trunk, including the hips. The study was limited by only including injuries treated in emergency departments, rather than less serious injuries that did not require treatment, or those seen at physician's offices or other outpatient settings. Based on these results, the researchers recommended that doctors might consider taking more time to show patients how to use walkers properly, and that additional research could lead to design improvements for walking aids. The study was published in the July 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

"It's important to make sure people use these devices safely,” said lead author Judy Stevens, Ph.D., an epidemiologist in the division of unintentional injury prevention at the CDC. "It gives them greater independence, but at the same time it can be a hazard if not used properly.”

More than twice as many older adults use canes as walkers, but walkers were by far more commonly associated with injuries. The reason for this is likely that those who use walkers represent a more vulnerable population that is weaker, frailer, and has more balance and mobility limitations than those who use canes.

Related Links:
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention