Skip Navigation



Age and Ageing Advance Access published online on February 1, 2007
Age and Ageing, doi:10.1093/ageing/afl186
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
36/2/140    most recent
afl186v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Minns, R. J.
Right arrow Articles by Todd, J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Minns, R. J.
Right arrow Articles by Todd, J.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Copyright © The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society.

Article

Are hip protectors correctly positioned in use?

R. J. Minns, Professor1, A.-M. Marsh2, A. Chuck3 and J. Todd4

1 RMPD, Newcastle General Hospital, Westgate Rd, Newcastle U Tyne, UK
2 OutPatients Department, Univ Hosp N Durham, Durham, UK
3 Rheumatology, Univ Hosp N Durham, Durham, UK
4 Infection Control, Darlington Memorial Hospital, Durham, UK

r.j.minns{at}btinternet.com

* Badger Barn, Ridehalgh Lane, Briercliffe BB10 3RA, Lancashire, UK.

There are many designs of hip protectors ranging from small elliptical shaped hard shell designs to large circular soft pads. They are held in position usually by being contained in a close fitting pocket on a garment that patients wear all the time they are at risk of sustaining a fracture of the hip if they fall onto the area of the greater trochanter (GT). It is important for the function of the hip protector that the pad element is positioned over the GT when the subject falls onto a surface such as the floor so as to provide the maximal protection by reducing the large forces transmitted to the femoral neck that lead to the fracture of the bone. In this study, anatomical measurements show where the GT is relevant to the centre of the hip protector, and position and movement studies have shown that generally the hard shell design of the hip protector lies posterior and proximal to the GT both for erect and flexed positions of the hip. The position of the GT relevant to the anterior superior iliac crest was established using ultrasound examinations on control and patients admitted with a fracture of the hip due to a fall. The diagonal surface distance for the three groups of test subjects was approximately 12 cm and a template was developed that could be used to locate the GT. A ‘zone’ of GT position and movement has been established relative to the anterior superior iliac crest, and designers of garments should ensure that this zone is within the area of protection provided by their hip protector pad design.

Keywords: hip protectors, hip fracture, older people, elderly, undergarment design, greater trochanter, soft tissue thickness, hip protector movement, elderly

Received March 6, 2006; accepted in revised form October 27, 2006.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.