Instead of walking with your hands in your pockets, shorten your stride.
Due to the heavy snow and cold wave that suddenly fell across the country on the 27th, concerns about falling accidents on icy roads have increased. Snow and cold waves are expected to continue on the 28th, so caution is required. In particular, the elderly have low bone density and weak bone strength, so they are more likely to fracture even from a light fall, so they need to be more careful.
Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens bones and is called the ‘silent thief’ because it has no symptoms. As you age, bone mass decreases and the risk of developing osteoporosis increases. Especially in postmenopausal women, bone density drops sharply due to a decrease in hormones. According to statistics from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of people receiving osteoporosis treatment in Korea increased from 1,054,892 in 2020 to 1,276,222 last year. Comparing the total cost of nursing care benefits by gender, women account for 94.6%, which is overwhelmingly higher than men (5.3%).
According to the ‘Osteoporosis and Osteoporotic Fracture Fact Sheet 2023’ analyzed by the Korean Society of Bone Metabolism in collaboration with the National Health Insurance Service, the number of osteoporotic fractures in adults aged 50 or older will increase from approximately 323,800 in 2012 to approximately 434,500 in 2022. increased. In particular, the incidence of hip and spine fractures was found to increase with age.
Osteoporosis patients suffer a lot of fractures, especially in winter. Slippery and icy roads are a major threat. In winter, because of thick coats or multiple layers of clothing, agility decreases compared to other seasons and muscles and joints become stiff, increasing the likelihood of accidents. Not only can you injure your wrists or ankles when you fall, but in severe cases, you can also damage your hip joints or spine. Among these, the area to be most careful is the hip joint.
A hip fracture usually means a break in the area that connects the thigh and pelvis. When a hip joint is fractured, it is difficult to bear weight, causing extreme pain and difficulty moving. As a result, bed rest for several months is inevitable, which increases the risk of secondary complications such as pneumonia, bedsores, and blood clots. The mortality rate within one year of patients undergoing hip fracture surgery is 14.7%, and the mortality rate within two years is 24.3%. If a hip fracture is left without proper treatment, the mortality rate is as high as 25% within one year and 70% within two years.
Hip fractures are most often treated with surgery. If a fracture occurs in the intertrochanteric region of the hip joint, treatment involves fixing the bone with a metal nail and then resting the bone. On the other hand, if a fracture occurs in the upper femoral neck, surgery to insert an artificial joint is necessary. This is because the bone becomes weak and it is difficult to fix the fracture with screws.
Kim Sang-min, a professor of orthopedic surgery at Korea University Guro Hospital, said, “Once a hip fracture occurs, one in two women are unable to regain mobility and independence,” adding, “One in four lives to the point where they need protection at a long-term care facility or at home.” “It reduces the quality,” he said, urging caution.
Source: kormedi.com
