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Observation of vestibular asymmetry in a majority of patients over 50 years with fall-related wrist fractures

Kristinsdottir, Ella Kolbrun LU ; Nordell, Eva LU ; Jarnlo, Gun-Britt LU ; Tjäder, Annika LU ; Thorngren, Karl-Göran LU and Magnusson, Måns LU orcid (2001) In Acta Oto-Laryngologica 121(4). p.481-485
Abstract
Previously [The abstract has been shortened somewhat, and the headings removed, in order to conform to journal style], we have observed vestibular asymmetry in about one-third of healthy senior citizens and in about two-thirds of subjects with previous hip fractures and no other significant ailments. Wrist fractures are considered a harbinger of hip fractures. If vestibular asymmetry is correlated with falls and fractures among the elderly then it should also be reflected among subjects with wrist fractures. Sixty-six consecutive patients (mean age 67.8 years) who had sustained a fall-related wrist fracture during a 10-month period were included in the study. The frequency of head shake nystagmus among the patients was compared to that... (More)
Previously [The abstract has been shortened somewhat, and the headings removed, in order to conform to journal style], we have observed vestibular asymmetry in about one-third of healthy senior citizens and in about two-thirds of subjects with previous hip fractures and no other significant ailments. Wrist fractures are considered a harbinger of hip fractures. If vestibular asymmetry is correlated with falls and fractures among the elderly then it should also be reflected among subjects with wrist fractures. Sixty-six consecutive patients (mean age 67.8 years) who had sustained a fall-related wrist fracture during a 10-month period were included in the study. The frequency of head shake nystagmus among the patients was compared to that found among 49 healthy senior citizens (mean age 74.9 years). Nystagmus after head shaking, indicating asymmetric vestibular function, was found in 50 participants (76%) (p <0.001). Thirty-eight of these were graded with distinct or prominent nystagmus responses. Sixty percent of the subjects with horizontal nystagmus had a wrist fracture coinciding with the slow phase of nystagmus. Twenty-three subjects reported 30 previous fall-related fractures during the previous 10 years. Subjects with nystagmus after head shaking sustained 26 of these fractures. The frequency of signs of vestibular asymmetry was significantly higher (p < 0.001) among the subjects than among healthy senior citizens. These findings suggest that an asymmetric vestibular function could be an epidemiologically important contributory factor to falls and wrist fractures among the elderly population. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Elderly, Head, Shake, Nystagmus, Osteoporosis, Vestibula, Asymmetry, Wrist, Fracture
in
Acta Oto-Laryngologica
volume
121
issue
4
pages
481 - 485
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • pmid:11508508
  • scopus:0034927819
ISSN
1651-2251
DOI
10.1080/00016480120191
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Division of Physiotherapy (Closed 2012) (013042000), Department of Orthopaedics (Lund) (013028000), Otorhinolaryngology (Lund) (013044000)
id
3c29422f-f628-4ef1-a2ed-8b5c3e459149 (old id 1121378)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:42:06
date last changed
2022-02-20 07:54:07
@article{3c29422f-f628-4ef1-a2ed-8b5c3e459149,
  abstract     = {{Previously [The abstract has been shortened somewhat, and the headings removed, in order to conform to journal style], we have observed vestibular asymmetry in about one-third of healthy senior citizens and in about two-thirds of subjects with previous hip fractures and no other significant ailments. Wrist fractures are considered a harbinger of hip fractures. If vestibular asymmetry is correlated with falls and fractures among the elderly then it should also be reflected among subjects with wrist fractures. Sixty-six consecutive patients (mean age 67.8 years) who had sustained a fall-related wrist fracture during a 10-month period were included in the study. The frequency of head shake nystagmus among the patients was compared to that found among 49 healthy senior citizens (mean age 74.9 years). Nystagmus after head shaking, indicating asymmetric vestibular function, was found in 50 participants (76%) (p &lt;0.001). Thirty-eight of these were graded with distinct or prominent nystagmus responses. Sixty percent of the subjects with horizontal nystagmus had a wrist fracture coinciding with the slow phase of nystagmus. Twenty-three subjects reported 30 previous fall-related fractures during the previous 10 years. Subjects with nystagmus after head shaking sustained 26 of these fractures. The frequency of signs of vestibular asymmetry was significantly higher (p &lt; 0.001) among the subjects than among healthy senior citizens. These findings suggest that an asymmetric vestibular function could be an epidemiologically important contributory factor to falls and wrist fractures among the elderly population.}},
  author       = {{Kristinsdottir, Ella Kolbrun and Nordell, Eva and Jarnlo, Gun-Britt and Tjäder, Annika and Thorngren, Karl-Göran and Magnusson, Måns}},
  issn         = {{1651-2251}},
  keywords     = {{Elderly; Head; Shake; Nystagmus; Osteoporosis; Vestibula; Asymmetry; Wrist; Fracture}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{481--485}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Acta Oto-Laryngologica}},
  title        = {{Observation of vestibular asymmetry in a majority of patients over 50 years with fall-related wrist fractures}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00016480120191}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/00016480120191}},
  volume       = {{121}},
  year         = {{2001}},
}