Laing A C, Robinovitch S N
Injury Prevention and Mobility Laboratory, School of Kinesiology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6.
Osteoporos Int. 2008 Jul;19(7):1067-75. doi: 10.1007/s00198-008-0571-9. Epub 2008 Mar 13.
While hip protectors represent a promising strategy for preventing hip fractures, clinical efficacy has been limited by poor user compliance. Soft shell protectors may be more acceptable to users than traditional hard shell designs. However, before embarking on clinical trials to assess efficacy, laboratory experiments are required to determine how soft shell protectors affect the force applied during impact to the hip. This was the goal of the current study.
Fifteen women participated in "pelvis release experiments," which safely simulate the impact stage of a sideways fall. During the trials, we measured total impact force and mean pressure over the greater trochanter with the participant unpadded, and while wearing two commercially available soft shell protectors.
Mean pressure over the greater trochanter was reduced by 76% by a 14-mm thick horseshoe-shaped protector and by 73% by a 16-mm thick continuous protector. Total force was reduced by 9% by the horseshoe and by 19% by the continuous protector.
Soft shell hip protectors substantially reduce the pressure over the greater trochanter, while only modestly reducing total impact force during simulated sideways falls. These data support the need for clinical trials to determine whether soft shell protectors reduce hip fracture risk in vulnerable populations.
虽然髋部保护器是预防髋部骨折的一种有前景的策略，但临床疗效一直受到使用者依从性差的限制。与传统的硬壳设计相比，软壳保护器可能更容易被使用者接受。然而，在开展评估疗效的临床试验之前，需要进行实验室实验来确定软壳保护器如何影响髋部受到撞击时所施加的力。这就是本研究的目的。
15名女性参与了“骨盆释放实验”，该实验安全地模拟了侧方跌倒的撞击阶段。在试验过程中，我们测量了参与者未穿戴防护装备时以及穿戴两种市售软壳保护器时大转子上的总冲击力和平均压力。
一个14毫米厚的马蹄形保护器使大转子上的平均压力降低了76%，一个16毫米厚的连续型保护器使平均压力降低了73%。马蹄形保护器使总冲击力降低了9%，连续型保护器使总冲击力降低了19%。
软壳髋部保护器可大幅降低大转子上的压力，而在模拟侧方跌倒时仅适度降低总冲击力。这些数据支持开展临床试验以确定软壳保护器是否能降低脆弱人群髋部骨折风险的必要性。
