An evaluation of footwear worn at the time of fall-related hip fracture

Abstract

Background: a range of footwear features have been shown to influence balance in older people, however, little is known about the relationships between inappropriate footwear, falls and hip fracture.

Objectives: to describe the characteristics of footwear worn at the time of fall-related hip fracture and establish whether the features of the shoe influenced the type of fall associated with the fracture.

Methods: 95 older people (average age 78.3 years, SD 7.9) who had suffered a fall-related hip fracture were asked to identify the footwear they were wearing when they fell. Footwear characteristics were then evaluated using a standardised assessment form. Information was also collected on the type and location of fall.

Results: the most common type of footwear worn at the time of the fall was slippers (22%), followed by walking shoes (17%) and sandals (8%). Few subjects were wearing high heels when they fell (2%). The majority of subjects (75%) wore shoes with at least one theoretically sub-optimal feature, such as absent fixation (63%), excessively flexible heel counters (43%) and excessively flexible soles (43%). Subjects who tripped were more likely to be wearing shoes with no fixation compared to those who reported other types of falls [chi(2)=4.21, df=1, P=0.033; OR=2.93 (95%CI 1.03-8.38)].

Conclusions: many older people who have had a fall-related hip fracture were wearing potentially hazardous footwear when they fell. The wearing of slippers or shoes without fixation may be associated with increased risk of tripping. Prospective studies into this proposed association appear warranted.