The Impact of Ski Geometry Data and Standing Height on the Risk of Falling in Recreational Alpine Skiers

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of individual, equipment-related and environmental factors associated with falls among adult recreational skiers. Individual, equipment-related (ski geometry data) and environmental data were collected by questionnaire among uninjured skiers with and without reported falls during the skiing day. Ski length, side cut radius, and width of the waist were directly recorded from the ski and standing height was measured using a digital sliding caliper. Absolute ski length was relativized to body height. A total of 1174 recreational skiers participated in this study, of whom 13.5% (n = 158) reported at least one fall during the skiing day. Results of the multiple logistic regression analysis found that a lower age, a very good/good fitness level, a moderate skiing speed, a lower relativized ski length, and fresh and grippy snow conditions decreased, while a lower skill level, a larger sidecut radius and an easy slope difficulty increased risk of falling on ski slopes. Besides individual and environmental factors, a lower relativized ski length and a lower sidecut radius decreased the risk of falling. Considering these ski geometry parameters when buying new skis could potentially decrease the risk of falling and thus prevent injuries in recreational skiers.

Fall from standing height, or greater, and mortality among ambulance-transported patients with major trauma from falls

Introduction This study describes the relationship between falls from standing height, or greater, and mortality in ambulance-transported patients with major trauma from falls. Methods Road ambulance records from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2016 were linked with WA State Trauma Registry records to identify ambulance-transported falls patients with major trauma. Results Of the patients who fell from standing level, 114/460 (25%) died within 30 days, compared with 47/222 (21%) who fell from height (p=0.64). Conclusion Mortality is relatively high, and fall height is not associated with 30-day survival, among ambulance-transported patients with major trauma in metropolitan Perth, Western Australia.

Prevalence, Characteristics, and Associated Risk Factors of Wrist Fractures in Americans Above 50: the Cross-sectional NHANES Study

BackgroundWrist fractures, also known as distal radius fractures, are the most common fractures occurred in the upper limb. This study is conducted in the purpose of evaluating the prevalence, characteristics, and associated factors of wrist fractures in Americans that aged 50 and above.MethodsData of Americans aged 50 or above from the year 2013 to 2014 and 2017 to 2018 in NHANES was extracted and analyzed. Based on orthopedist's diagnosis, we further conducted surveys to determine the condition of wrist fractures, and collected relevant epidemiological and demographic data. The prevalence of wrist fractures and other statistics were calculated to study population characteristics and analyze potential risk factors associated with wrist fractures.ResultsThe prevalence of wrist fractures among Americans whose age was 50 or above was 12%, with similar results between men and women patients (male 12.8 % vs female 11.4 %, P = 0.267). Male and female Americans’ first wrist fracture occurred at a mean age of 29.4. 17.8% of Americans aged 50 and above had experienced two fractures, while 1.7% of Americans even experienced four or more fractures. The top two causes of the first fracture were falling down from standing height (56%) and violent falls (34.8%). Multivariate analysis showed that osteoporosis (OR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.7-2.9), excessive drinking (OR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.3-2.4), smoking (OR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.2-2.1), prednisolone administration (OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.1-2.1) and obesity (OR = 0.8, 95% CI = 0.6-0.9) were independently associated with wrist fractures. Gender was not an independent risk factor associated with wrist fractures.ConclusionsThe prevalence of wrist fractures in Americans aged 50 and above was 12 %. The prevalence was similar between male and female patients. Falling from a standing height was the main cause of the first wrist fracture. Osteoporosis, excessive drinking, smoking and prednisolone administration were risk factors of wrist fractures, while obesity was negatively correlated.

A Rare Case of Simultaneous Fracture Neck of Femur on One Side and Contralateral Intertrochanteric Fracture Femur in a 41-Year-Old Female – A Case Report

Introduction: Simultaneous fractures in the neck of femur on the one side and contralateral intertrochanteric fracture of the femur with only trivial injury are among rarest injuries. Fracture neck of femur or intertrochanteric fracture either isolated or in combination such as simultaneous bilateral fracture neck of femur and simultaneous bilateral intertrochanteric fractures are relatively commonly reported in literature. Herein, we report a very rare case of a young female with chronic kidney disease who presented with simultaneous fractures neck of femur on the one side and contralateral intertrochanteric fracture of femur after a fall from standing height. Case Report: A 41-year-old female with chronic kidney disease from the past 5 years presented to us with severe pain at both hip and inability to stand after a fall from standing height. Clinical examination and investigations were done. She suffered fracture neck of femur on the right side and intertrochanteric fracture femur on the left side. Single stage fixation of both these fractures by two different methods was done successfully after optimization of her medical condition with multidisciplinary approach. She was advised weight bearing according to fixation method used and progress of fracture union. She regained her preoperative walking status gradually in 6 months. Conclusion: Simultaneous fractures in the neck of femur on the one side and intertrochanteric fracture of the femur on the other side are very rare presentation and can happen in patients with primary or secondary bone disease. Multidisciplinary team effort is needed for overall effective management and prompt surgical treatment can help achieve favorable outcome. Keywords: Simultaneous, fracture neck of femur, intertrochanteric fracture femur.

Is Arm-span an accurate measure of stature? A cross sectional study in North Indian population

Background: The estimation of inter-relationship between various body parameters and stature has been an important tool in anthropometric measurements. It is found to be of great importance in such cases where direct measurement of stature is not possible. A wide variety of parameters are used for estimation of stature including arm spam, hand length, foot length, demi span, knee height, sitting position etc. In this study arm span is used for stature estimation. Aims and Objective: To find the accuracy of arm-span in predicting standing height of both males and females in studied population. Materials and Methods: The study involved 600 participants (300 males and 300 females). The data for study collected from Rajasthan by means of community visits. The standing height and arm-span were measured for each individual and analyzed. Correlation coefficient and regression equation was generated. Results: A positive correlation was found to exist between the arm-span and stature. The correlation coefficient r was found to be 0.9. In the studied population, the arm span was found to be a strong predictor of Stature. Conclusion: It can be concluded that arm-span can be used in estimation of the height of both males and females. Arm span is reliable tool for obtaining the approximate stature of an individual. It can be used for the purpose of medico-legal cases too.

Review of the Literature and Surgeon’s Opinion: Pelvic Fractures in the Geriatric Population. To Fix or Not to Fix?

Pelvic fractures in the geriatric population are occurring with increasing frequency secondary to an aging population. These injuries most commonly occur via low energy traumatic mechanisms such as a fall from standing height. Historically, pelvic fractures resulting from low energy trauma in the geriatric population have been treated conservatively.

Theoretical Aspects for Calculating the Mobilized Load during Suspension Training through a Mobile Application

Introduction: This study describes the theoretical foundations of the development of an equation that allows for the estimation of the mobilized load when training with suspension devices (type TRX®) and presents a mobile application as a means for its use. Methods: Systems of equations are proposed of which the terms depend on the angulation of the device with respect to the vertical (angle α), the relationship between the height of grip, the height of the center of mass and the weight of the subject, which are recorded from a photo. Results: Based on the photo and the subject’s standing height, the application allows the user to measure the angle α, providing the values of applied force (in N) and mobilized load in relation to the percentage of body mass, applying the calculations described in our equations. The equation also provides the estimated value of the load mobilized during a push up on the floor (68% of the subject’s body mass) and the equation for the calculation of the mobilized load when the suspension device is fixed to the feet. Conclusions: It is possible to use equations to estimate the load mobilized in each repetition during training using suspension devices and to implement this algorithm in a mobile application.