Circumstances of falls causing hip fractures in the elderly.

A prospective analysis was performed on 832 patients to determine the circumstances surrounding falls leading to hip fracture within a homogeneous, elderly urban population. Special emphasis was placed on the season of year, time of day, location of fall, and other circumstances in which the fracture occurred. All patients were community dwelling, cognitively intact, previously ambulatory elderly who sustained a femoral neck or intertrochanteric fracture. Most fractures occurred at home, particularly in patients who were older, less healthy, and poorer ambulators. More than 75% of fractures resulted from a fall while the patient was standing or walking. Most falls occurred during daylight hours with a peak seen in the afternoon. No seasonal variation in the incidence of hip fractures was observed.