Pelvis and Femur Geometry: Relationships with Impact Characteristics During Sideways Falls on the Hip

While metrics of pelvis and femur geometry have been demonstrated to influence hip fracture risk, attempts at linking geometry to underlying mechanisms have focused on fracture strength. We investigated the potential effects of femur and pelvis geometry on applied loads during lateral falls on the hip. Fifteen female volunteers underwent DXA imaging to characterize two pelvis and six femur geometric features. Additionally, participants completed low-energy sideways falls on the hip; peak impact force and pressure, contact area, and moment of force applied to the proximal femur were extracted.
Source: Journal of Biomechanics - Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Source Type: research