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Related Experiment Videos

Active responses decrease impact forces at the hip and shoulder in falls to the side.

M B Sabick1, J G Hay, V K Goel

  • 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA. michelle@brcinc.com

Journal of Biomechanics
|August 25, 1999
PubMed
Summary
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Active fall responses, like using an arm to break a fall, significantly reduce impact forces on the hip and shoulder. This protective mechanism helps explain why fractures are less common in younger individuals compared to the elderly.

Area of Science:

  • Biomechanics
  • Gerontology
  • Injury Prevention

Background:

  • Falls are a common cause of injury, particularly fractures.
  • Active protective responses may mitigate fall-related impact forces.
  • Understanding these responses is crucial for injury prevention strategies, especially in aging populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify the impact forces at the hip and shoulder during side falls from a kneeling position.
  • To compare impact forces under three conditions: active arm use, relaxed body, and tensed body.
  • To investigate the role of active responses in reducing fall-related injury severity.

Main Methods:

  • Subjects performed side falls from a kneeling position onto a force platform array.
  • Impact forces at the hip and shoulder were measured under three conditions: arm use, relaxed, and tensed.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Ground reaction force data were analyzed to determine impact characteristics.

    • Main Results:

    • Impact forces at the hip and shoulder were 12% and 16% lower, respectively, in the arm-use (slap) condition compared to the tensed condition (p < 0.05).
    • No significant difference in impact forces was found between relaxed and tensed conditions, though forces tended to be lower when relaxed.
    • The ground reaction force-time curve typically showed two peaks, indicating sequential hip and shoulder impacts.

    Conclusions:

    • Active responses, such as using an arm to break a fall, effectively reduce impact forces on the hip and shoulder.
    • The diminished effectiveness of protective responses with age (due to slower reaction times and reduced strength) may contribute to higher fracture rates in the elderly.
    • These findings highlight the importance of maintaining physical function for fall injury prevention in older adults.