Volitional protective responses to reduce impact severity during falls: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Gerontology
• Motor Control

Background:

• Volitional protective responses are learned motor skills for older adults to mitigate fall impact.
• Classifying these responses by biomechanical characteristics is crucial for understanding their efficacy.
• This study aims to categorize protective responses and assess their effectiveness in reducing fall impact severity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To classify volitional protective responses into load sharing, body-segment flexion, and muscle relaxation categories.
• To examine the biomechanical effectiveness of these categorized responses in reducing fall impact severity.
• To synthesize evidence on protective responses for fall injury prevention in older adults.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review and meta-analysis of 23 studies.
• Searched multiple databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, etc.) up to June 2024.
• Included cross-sectional studies on protective responses and fall impact severity in adults.

Main Results:

• Load sharing responses showed a significant pooled effect size (1.02).
• Body-segment flexion responses demonstrated a significant pooled effect size (2.43).
• Muscle relaxation responses did not show a significant effect on reducing impact severity (P=0.36).

Conclusions:

• Load sharing and body-segment flexion are effective protective responses against fall impact.
• The effectiveness of body-segment flexion varies with fall direction and impact location.
• Further research is needed to clarify the role of muscle relaxation in fall injury prevention.