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Updated: Sep 3, 2025
Imaging of the Microstructural Failure Mechanism in the Human Hip
Published on: September 29, 2023
Hip Fractures and Visual Impairment: Is There a Cause-Consequence Mechanism?
Gianluca Testa1, Sara De Salvo1, Silvia Boscaglia2
1Department of General Surgery and Medical Surgical Specialties, Section of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University Hospital Policlinico-San Marco, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy.
Background:
Numerous studies have pointed out how visual impairment relates to falls in the elderly, causing dangerous consequences, such as fractures. The proximal femur fracture is one of the most frequent fracture types related to poor vision. This study investigates the link between fall-related hip fractures and visual impairment.
Methods:
The present is an observational monocentric case-control study. We collected the ophthalmologic anamnesis and measured the visual acuity of 88 subjects with femur neck fracture (case group), comparing it with 101 adults without fractures and a recent fall history.
Results:
The results showed no statistical difference between the two groups regarding visual acuity, with a p-value of 0.08 for the right eye and 0.13 for the left one. One of the major ophthalmologic morbidities found was cataracts, present in 48% of the control group and 30% of the case group.
Conclusions:
The data obtained suggest that visual impairment might not be crucial in determining falls in the elderly.
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