Osteoporosis Patients Fall on Ice Road...70% fatality rate within two years for hip fractures
Dec 21, 2024
|
In particular, the elderly have low bone density and weak bone strength, so there is a high possibility of fractures even in minor falls, so caution is needed.
◇ 94.6% of osteoporosis patients have increased risk of postmenopausal fractures
Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones are weakened, and there are no symptoms, so it is called 'Soundless Thief'. With age, the amount of bone decreases and the risk of developing osteoporosis increases, especially in postmenopausal women, bone density drops sharply due to hormonal decline. According to statistics from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of osteoporosis treatments in Korea is increasing every year from 1,054,892 in 2020 to 1,276,222 in 2023, and compared to the total cost of gender care benefits, women account for 94.6% (5.3% for men).
According to the Korean Society of Osteoporosis and Osteoporosis Fractures 2023, which analyzed the occurrence and management patterns of osteoporosis and osteoporosis fractures in Koreans with the National Health Insurance Corporation, the number of osteoporosis fractures in adults over 50 years of age has steadily increased from about 323,800 in 2012 to about 434,500 as of 2022. In addition, wrist and ankle fractures mainly occur in the 50s and 60s, and hip and spinal fractures increase with age.
◇Danger of an icy road fall...Particular attention to hip fracture
Osteoporosis patients are especially prone to fractures in winter. Slippery icy roads are an important threat, and in winter, thick coats or layered clothes make you less agile than other seasons and stiff muscles or joints, increasing the probability of accidents. Not only do you hurt your wrist or ankle when you fall, but in severe cases, you will also damage your hip or spine. Among them, the most careful part is the hip bone, 'hip'.
Hip fractures often refer to breaking the part connecting the thigh and pelvis, and when the hip joint is fractured, it becomes impossible to bear weight, causing extreme pain and difficulty in moving. Therefore, bed life is inevitable for several months, which increases the risk of secondary complications such as pneumonia, bedsores, and blood clots. The fatality rate of hip fracture surgery patients within one year is 14.7%, and the fatality rate within two years is 24.3%. If hip fractures are left untreated, the fatality rate is as high as 25% within one year and 70% within two years.
Professor Kim Sang-min of orthopedic surgery at Korea University Guro Hospital cautioned that once hip fractures occur, one in two women cannot recover mobility and independence, and one in four seriously deteriorates the quality of life to the extent that they need protection at a nursing home or at home for a long time.
◇ The basics of hip fracture treatment are surgery...Recent Surgery to Reduce the Burden of Older Patients
Most hip fractures should be treated by surgery. If a fracture occurs in the electronic liver of the hip joint, the treatment is performed to stabilize the bone after fixing it with a metal tablet. On the other hand, if a fracture occurs in the upper femoral neck, surgery to insert an artificial joint is necessary. This is because bones are weak and it is often difficult to fix fractures with screws, and bloodless necrosis occurs because bone union is not possible due to blood vessel damage or blood flow to the bonehead is cut off.
The hip joint is one of the most common parts of the body that performs artificial joint surgery, which means removing the acetabular, femoral head, and damaged soft bones that make up the hip joint, replacing them with artificial bones, and inserting special plastic or ceramic into the connection.
Professor Kim Sang-min said "Unlike in the past, artificial hip surgery has reduced the surgical incision to about 10 to 15 cm, the material of the artificial joint surface has greatly improved durability, and the burden on elderly patients has also decreased as a surgical approach has been developed to reduce muscle damage and recover quickly. The recovery rate of patients after surgery is also high because they have the power to step on their feet from one to two days after surgery, allowing them to walk. About a month after surgery, you can walk on a flat floor for more than 30 minutes by walking independently, and in 3 months, you can walk on any daily life."
◇ Reduce stride on icy roads, walk without hands
Above all, you should pay attention to safety accidents in order to avoid fractures. When walking on a frozen road in winter, it is safe to reduce the speed and width of your steps by more than 10% than usual. If you walk with your hands in your pocket, you can easily lose your balance and lead to a fall accident, so it is also helpful to use a cane or an aid.
It is also important to exercise consistently and regularly. In order to maintain the strength of the bone, it is good to continuously stimulate the bone, and it is also essential to develop flexibility and maintain a sense of balance through steady stretching. In winter, it is recommended to exercise indoors mainly for light stretching to promote blood circulation, provide sufficient effects on joints, and restore vitality to muscles and ligaments.
In addition, they consume a variety of dairy products, including milk and cheese that contain a lot of calcium that directly affects osteogenesis, blue-backed fish, beans, tofu, kelp, anchovies, and dried shrimp. And vitamin D is an important substance that increases the absorption rate of calcium in the body and plays an important role in the storage of calcium in the bone, and proper sunlight exposure is important. Supplements are also recommended to be taken if necessary. Coffee, cigarettes, and alcohol allow calcium to escape from bones, so it is better to reduce it.
Exercise and nutrition alone are often insufficient to weaken bones as they get older, so in this case, the help of drugs is needed. It is also very important to receive medical counseling and treatment so that proper bone density can be maintained after consulting with an expert.
|
bellho@sportschosun.com
