Vestibular Rehabilitation for Patients With Fall-related Wrist Fractures

Overview

Dizziness has been identified as a risk factor for fall and vestibular asymmetry has been found among patients with fall-related wrist fractures as well as among patients with hip-fracture. Since wrist fracture is a risk factor for hip-fracture, much effort is focused on preventing falls for risk-groups. Therefore, it would be interesting to find out if it is possible to influence vestibular asymmetry with vestibular rehabilitation. The aim of this study is therefore to find out if vestibular rehabilitation can have any effect on vestibular function among patients with fall-related wrist fracture.

Fall-related fractures are an increasing problem for the society. Almost 30% of persons over 65 years of age fall each year. In Sweden 627 persons out of 100 000 is treated in hospitals because of injury after a fall. In Malmö, the figure is 883 persons out of 100 000. However, not all falls lead to a fracture. Dizziness has been identified as a risk factor for fall and vestibular asymmetry has been found among patients with fall-related wrist fractures as well as among patients with hip-fracture. Vestibular rehabilitation programs were first developed in the forties, originally used for peripheral vestibular disorder, in order to facilitate recovery. Modern research has widened the use of vestibular rehabilitation to patients with other causes of dizziness than peripheral vestibular disorders. Since wrist fracture is a risk factor for hip-fracture, much effort is focused on preventing falls for risk-groups. Therefore, it would be interesting to find out if it is possible to influence vestibular asymmetry with vestibular rehabilitation. The aim of this study is therefore to find out if vestibular rehabilitation can have any effect on vestibular function among patients with fall-related wrist fracture.