Research Priorities for Wearable Hip Protectors for Hip Fracture Prevention in Long-Term Care

About 95% of hip fractures in older adults are caused by falls.1 Falls that cause hip fractures involve direct impact to the hip region.2 Fractures occur when the impact force exceeds the failure force of the bone. A hip protector3,4 is a type of protective clothing that contains elements over the region of the greater trochanter, usually foam padding, for attenuating the forces generated in the proximal femur during impact, and thereby lowering fracture risk.