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

Do wrist guards protect against fractures?

L M Lewis1, O C West, J Standeven

  • 1Emergency Medicine Division, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St Louis, MO, USA.

Annals of Emergency Medicine
|June 1, 1997
PubMed
Summary

Wrist guards significantly increase the force needed to fracture wrists and forearms in simulated falls. This biomechanical evidence supports recommending wrist guards for activities like skating to prevent fractures.

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

Evaluation of anti-vibration interventions for the hand during sheet metal assembly work.

Work (Reading, Mass.)·2011
Same author

Variability and misclassification of worker estimated hand force.

Applied ergonomics·2011
Same author

Rapid discovery and optimization of therapeutic antibodies against emerging infectious diseases.

Protein engineering, design & selection : PEDS·2008
Same author

Factors associated with determinants of sexual functioning in midlife women.

Maturitas·2005
Same author

Imaging evaluation of posttraumatic renal injuries.

Abdominal imaging·2002
Same author

Do football helmets reduce acceleration of impact in blunt head injuries?

Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine·2001

Area of Science:

  • Biomechanics
  • Orthopedic research
  • Injury prevention

Background:

  • Wrist and forearm fractures are common injuries during falls.
  • Previous epidemiologic studies suggest wrist guards may reduce injury risk.
  • Biomechanical data is needed to confirm the protective effect of wrist guards.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if wrist guards increase the fracture threshold for wrist and forearm fractures.
  • To quantify the biomechanical effects of wrist guards during simulated falls.

Main Methods:

  • Controlled, blinded experimental study using matched cadaveric arms.
  • Simulated falls using a drop device to induce fractures.
  • Measurement of fracture threshold parameters including drops, height, velocity, kinetic energy, acceleration, and impulse.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Wrist guards significantly increased the number of drops, mean drop height, mean kinetic energy, and summed impulse required to fracture.
  • Fracture severity was generally less when wrist guards were used.

Conclusions:

  • Biomechanical evidence strongly supports a protective effect of wrist guards against wrist fractures.
  • These findings, combined with epidemiologic data, warrant counseling for skaters to use wrist guards.
  • Healthcare providers should recommend wrist guards for roller skating, skateboarding, and in-line skating.