title: [Fall risk and fracture. The association of physical performance with falls in the elderly].
abstract: A longitudinal analysis using a population-based cohort study known as Research on Osteoarthritis/osteoporosis Against Disability (ROAD) clarified the associations of physical performance and bone and joint diseases with falls. A total of 452 men and 896 women were analyzed in the present study (mean age, 63.9 years) . A questionnaire was used to assess the number of falls during the 3-year follow-up. Grip strength, 6-m walking time, and chair stand time were measured at baseline. Knee osteoarthritis (OA) and lumbar spondylosis were defined as Kellgren Lawrence = 3 or 4. Vertebral fracture (VFx) was assessed with the Japanese Society of Bone and Mineral Research criteria. Knee and lower back pain were estimated by an interview. During a 3-year follow-up, 17.4% men and 24.1% women reported at least one fall. Multinomial logistic regression analysis after adjustment for age and BMI showed that a longer 6-m walking time was a risk factor for multiple falls in men and women. Knee pan was also a risk factor for multiple falls in women. Walking time and knee pain may be a simple and quick option for measuring the risk of falling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Motor System Medicine, 22nd Century Medical and Research Center, The University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeyuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muraki
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000502:physiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires