A simple gait-stabilizing device reduces outdoor falls and nonserious injurious falls in fall-prone older people during the winter.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether Yaktrax Walker (YW), a nonmedical gait-stabilizing device, prevents outdoor falls and injurious falls in fall-prone older people during the winter.


METHODS
Prospective, randomized, interventional trial.


METHODS
Community-based, northern United States, winter, outdoors.


METHODS
Ambulatory, community-dwelling, fall-prone people aged 65 and older.


METHODS
Participants were randomized to wear YW or their usual winter footwear (UWF) outdoors during the winter of 2003/2004.


METHODS
The number of indoor and outdoor slips, falls, and injurious falls was recorded daily in a fall diary. Winter footwear satisfaction survey was completed after study completion.


RESULTS
One hundred nine subjects completed 10,724 diary days. Mean age was 74.2. There were 93 indoor slips, 13 indoor falls, 714 outdoor slips, and 62 outdoor falls. The tendency for both groups to slip/fall indoors was comparable. The relative risk (RR) of outdoor slip for YW was 0.50 (P<.04) for all diary days and 0.61 (P=.14) when only days walked on snow and ice was the exposure variable. The RR of outdoor fall for YW was 0.42 (P<.03) when only days walked on snow and ice was the exposure variable. RR of injurious falls per day walked on snow and ice for YW was 0.13 (P<.02). Twelve of 19 outdoor falls occurred when YW subjects were not wearing their assigned device. No serious injury or fracture occurred in either group. The number needed to treat for the YW to prevent one nonserious injurious fall in one winter was six.


CONCLUSIONS
YW may reduce the risk of outdoor winter falls, and of nonserious injurious falls, in older community-dwelling people with a history of previous falls.
McKiernan
Fergus Eoin
FE
Center for Bone Diseases, Marshfield Clinic, Marshfield, Wisconsin 54449, USA. mckiernan.fergus@marshfieldclinic.org
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007053:Ice; D008297:Male; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012621:Seasons; D012775:Shoes; D012914:Snow; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
D007053:Ice