Osteoarthritis and Falls in the Elderly Person

Osteoarthritis and falls in the older person are associated with reduced mobility and decreased physical function. It also increases the risk of fractures and injuries. Falls are one of the most common causes of hospitalization and long-term care admissions in the elderly. Despite the ambiguous nature of the osteoarthritis and falls relationship, more research is needed to assess the extent of the link, to understand the causes of falling, and to develop interventions to prevent the incidence of falling in the elderly.

Approximately one third of adults over the age of 65 experience falls every year. This can result in injury and loss of independence. The effects of falls include fractures, head trauma, and soft-tissue injuries.

In addition to osteoarthritis, other factors that increase the risk of serious falls include obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and neurological disease. A recent study examined the role of osteoarthritis and falls in the elderly.

The European Project on OsteoArthritis gathered data on 2535 patients. The group was divided into three groups, one with a history of falling, another without a fall history, and a control group. Medical Alarms They were asked to report the frequency of falls in the prior year and a history of fall-related injuries.

During the past year, 41% of the patients reported at least one stumbling episode, while 30% sustained a fall-related injury. However, most falls occurred during walking.

One of the most important risk factors for falls is primary knee osteoarthritis. Patients with severe knee OA had a higher rate of falls than those with mild symptoms.