Disturbance type and gait speed affect fall direction and impact location

Since falling to the side and impacting on or near the hip increase hip fracture risk, we examined the fall direction and pelvis impact location resulting from four disturbances (faint, slip, step down, trip) at three gait speeds (fast, normal, slow) in 14 young adults instructed not to attempt recovery. We hypothesized that certain disturbances such as faints and slips and slow walking speed were more likely to result in an impact on the hip. For each trial, the fall direction, impact location and pelvis impact velocity were measured. The results showed that both disturbance type and gait speed significantly affected fall direction and impact location (analysis of covariance with repeated measures, p⩽0.0001) with a significant interaction (p<0.05). Trips and steps down usually resulted in forward falls, with frontal impacts regardless of gait speed. At fast gait speed, slips and faints also usually resulted in forward falls, with frontal impacts. As gait speed decreased, however, slips usually resulted in sideways or backward falls, with impact on the hip or buttocks, and faints resulted in a greater number of sideways falls, with impact near the hip. Therefore, compared to other disturbances and gait speeds, slipping or fainting while walking slowly was more likely to result in an impact on the hip, suggesting a greater risk for hip fracture. Furthermore, 56% of the impact velocities generated were within one standard deviation of the estimate of the mean impact velocity needed to fracture an elderly femur.