Broken Wrists Signal Elevated Hip, Spine Fracture Risk

A study published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery reveals that 15% of women over the age of 50 fall and fracture a wrist.

A broken wrist is bad enough, but the wrist fracture is like a cannery in a coal mine. It signals the presence of balance problems and the possibility of another fall that could fracture a hip.

Pamela Tabaar, editor in chief of Long-Term Living, reported that study participants who had experienced a wrist fracture had dynamic motion analysis scores nearly 150 points higher than the non-injured control group which indicated compromised balance.

Craig R. Louer, M.D., an orthopedic surgery resident at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, who was the lead study author, warned “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.” He and his study colleagues found that older adults who sustain a wrist fracture are more likely to have poor balance compared to those who have not sustained this injury.