Injury Mechanisms of Hip Fractures in India

Hip fractures are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the elderly; however, the current literature on the injury patterns of hip fractures in India is lacking. Understanding the injury profile of these patients is important to develop targeted interventions to prevent hip fractures.

This was a prospective study of all hip fracture patients aged 50 years or older admitted from February 2019 to December 2019. Details about the injury were recorded by an in-person interview. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors associated with any particular injury mechanism.

Two hundred and eighty-three hip fractures were included. The mechanism of injury for the majority of patients was a fall from a standing height (n=217, 76.7%) while 60 patients (21.2%) were injured as the result of a road traffic accident (RTA). Slipping on a wet floor (n=49, 22.6%) and change in posture (n=35, 16.1%) were the most commonly reported reasons for falling. Pedestrian injuries were the most common form of RTA (n=29, 48.3%). Increasing age (P<0.001) and female sex (P=0.001) were associated with fall as the mode of injury while sustaining another fracture in addition to hip fracture (P=0.032) was associated with RTA as the mode of injury.

A fall from standing height is the predominant mode of injury among elderly hip fractures especially among women. Environmental hazards and postural changes are responsible for the majority of falls while pedestrian accidents contribute to a majority of the RTAs.