Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Force attenuation in trochanteric soft tissues during impact from a fall

S N Robinovitch1, T A McMahon, W C Hayes

  • 1Division of Orthopedic Surgery, San Francisco General Hospital, California 94110, USA.

Journal of Orthopaedic Research : Official Publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society
|November 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary

Increased body mass index may reduce hip fracture risk due to soft tissue cushioning. However, this cushioning alone is insufficient to prevent fractures in elderly individuals falling directly on their hips.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

From protection to amplification: Imperfect chytridiomycosis prophylaxis increases infections in wild amphibians.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Orthostatic cardiovascular responses to postural sway and discreet counterpressure maneuvers.

Autonomic neuroscience : basic & clinical·2025
Same author

Effects of hip muscle activation on the stiffness and energy absorption of the trochanteric soft tissue during impact in sideways falls.

Journal of the mechanical behavior of biomedical materials·2022
Same author

Asymmetric cross-strain protection for amphibians exposed to a fungal-metabolite prophylactic treatment.

Biology letters·2021
Same author

Development of a stick-on hip protector: A multiple methods study to improve hip protector design for older adults in the acute care environment.

Journal of rehabilitation and assistive technologies engineering·2019
Same author

Effect of pelvis impact angle on stresses at the femoral neck during falls.

Journal of biomechanics·2018

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Biomechanics
  • Orthopedic Surgery

Background:

  • Increased body mass index (BMI) is associated with a reduced risk of hip fracture.
  • The protective mechanism of higher BMI against hip fracture is not fully understood.
  • Soft-tissue cushioning is hypothesized to play a role in mitigating fall impact forces.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the energy-absorbing capacity of trochanteric soft tissues.
  • To determine if increased soft-tissue thickness in obese individuals can attenuate fall impact forces sufficiently to prevent hip fracture.
  • To explore the biomechanical contribution of soft tissues to hip fracture prevention during falls.

Main Methods:

  • Simulated fall impact experiments were conducted using an impact pendulum and a surrogate human pelvis.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Trochanteric soft tissues were harvested from nine elderly cadavers.
  • Impact energy was standardized at 140 J, and peak forces and tissue energy absorption were measured.

    • Main Results:

    • Increased trochanteric soft-tissue thickness showed a strong correlation with decreased peak impact force (r² = 0.91) and increased energy absorption (r² = 0.76).
    • Despite enhanced cushioning, peak forces in all tested tissues remained within one standard deviation of previously reported average fracture forces for elderly femora.
    • Soft-tissue attenuation alone was insufficient to prevent hip fracture in simulated direct hip impact scenarios.

    Conclusions:

    • While increased soft-tissue thickness provides some protection by reducing impact force and absorbing energy, it is not sufficient on its own to prevent hip fractures in elderly individuals falling directly on their hips.
    • Additional protective mechanisms, such as using outstretched hands or muscle contractions, are likely crucial for preventing hip fractures during such falls.
    • Further research into combined biomechanical factors is needed to fully understand hip fracture prevention in the elderly.