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Effects of unipedal standing balance exercise on the prevention of falls and hip fracture among clinically defined high-risk elderly individuals: a randomized controlled trial

Journal of Orthopaedic Science volume 11, pages 467–472 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the unipedal standing balance exercise for 1 min to prevent falls and hip fractures in high-risk elderly individuals with a randomized controlled trial. This control study was designed as a 6-month intervention trial.

Subjects

Subjects included 553 clinically defined high-risk adults who were living in residences or in the community. They were randomized to an exercise group and a control group.

Methods

Randomization to the subjects was performed by a table of random numbers. A unipedal standing balance exercise with open eyes was performed by standing on each leg for 1 min three times per day. As a rule, subjects of the exercise group stood on one leg without holding onto any support, but unstable subjects were permitted to hold onto a bar during the exercise time. Falls and hip fractures were reported by nurses, physical therapists, or facility staff with a survey sheet every month. This survey sheet was required every month for both groups.

Results

Registered subjects were 553 persons ranging in age from 37 to 102 years (average, 81.6 years of age). Twenty-six subjects dropped out. The number of falls and hip fractures for the 6-month period after the trial for 527 of the 553 subjects for whom related data were available were assessed. The exercise group comprised 315 subjects and the control group included 212 subjects. The cumulative number of falls of the exercise group, with 1 multiple faller omitted, was 118, and the control group recorded 121 falls. A significant intergroup difference was observed. However, the cumulative number of hip fractures was only 1 case in both groups. This difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusions

The unipedal standing balance exercise is effective to prevent falls but was not shown to be statistically significant in the prevention of hip fracture in this study.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Showa University School of Medicine, 1-5-8 Hatanodai, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 142-8666, Japan

    Keizo Sakamoto

  2. Department of Orthopedics, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kita-kyushu, Japan

    Toshitaka Nakamura

  3. Rehabilitation Division, Tottori University Hospital, Yonago, Japan

    Hiroshi Hagino

  4. Division of Orthopedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan

    Naoto Endo

  5. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan

    Satoshi Mori

  6. Department of Physical and Health Education, Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Yoshiteru Muto

  7. Department of Restorative Medicine, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Aichi, Japan

    Atsushi Harada

  8. Tamana Central Hospital, Kumamoto, Japan

    Tetsuo Nakano

  9. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Akita University, Akita, Japan

    Eiji Itoi

  10. Yoshimura Orthopaedic Clinic, Fukui, Japan

    Mitsuo Yoshimura

  11. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan

    Hiromichi Norimatsu

  12. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kochi University, Nangoku, Japan

    Hiroshi Yamamoto

  13. Division of Computer Integrated Orthopaedics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan

    Takahiro Ochi

Authors
  1. Keizo Sakamoto
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  2. Toshitaka Nakamura
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  3. Hiroshi Hagino
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  4. Naoto Endo
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  5. Satoshi Mori
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  7. Atsushi Harada
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  8. Tetsuo Nakano
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  9. Eiji Itoi
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  10. Mitsuo Yoshimura
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  11. Hiromichi Norimatsu
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  13. Takahiro Ochi
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Committee on Osteoporosis of The Japanese Orthopaedic Association

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Cite this article

Sakamoto, K., Nakamura, T., Hagino, H. et al. Effects of unipedal standing balance exercise on the prevention of falls and hip fracture among clinically defined high-risk elderly individuals: a randomized controlled trial. J Orthop Sci 11, 467–472 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00776-006-1057-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00776-006-1057-2

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