title: Clinical assessment tools identify functional deficits in fragility fracture patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify inexpensive, noninvasive, portable, clinical assessment tools that can be used to assess functional performance measures that may put older patients at risk for falls such as balance, handgrip strength, and lumbopelvic control.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty fragility fracture patients and 21 healthy control subjects were evaluated using clinical assessment tools (Nintendo Wii Balance Board [WBB], a handheld dynamometer, and an application for the Apple iPod Touch, the Level Belt) that measure functional performance during activity of daily living tasks. The main outcome measurements were balance (WBB), handgrip strength (handheld dynamometer), and lumbopelvic control (iPod Touch Level Belt), which were compared between fragility fracture patients and healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fragility fracture patients had lower scores on the vertical component of the WBB Torso Twist task (P=0.042) and greater medial-lateral lumbopelvic sway during a 40 m walk (P=0.026) when compared to healthy controls. Unexpectedly, the fracture patients had significantly higher scores on the left leg (P=0.020) and total components (P=0.010) of the WBB Single Leg Stand task as well as less faults during the left Single Leg Stand task (P=0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinical assessment tools utilized in this study are relatively inexpensive and portable tools of performance measures capable of detecting differences in postural sway between fragility fracture patients and controls.
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University College of Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Tyler D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Ames
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University College of Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Corinne E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Wee
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University College of Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Khoi M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Le
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University College of Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Tiffany L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Julie Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Bishop
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Laura S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Phieffer
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Carmen E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Quatman
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D018737:Hand Strength; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004856:Postural Balance; D018910:Video Games
keywords: Level Belt; Nintendo Wii Balance Board; fall risk; fragility fracture; geriatric fracture