%0 Journal Article
%T The Epidemiology of Fractures Caused by Falls Down Stairs
%A Sarah E. Mitchell
%A Stuart A. Aitken
%A Charles M. Court-Brown
%J ISRN Epidemiology
%D 2013
%R 10.5402/2013/370340
%X Fractures sustained from a fall down stairs have received little attention in the orthopaedic literature. We have undertaken a study of these fractures to determine their epidemiology and to compare it to that of fractures caused by a standing fall. All new patients presenting with a fracture between July 2007 and June 2008 were prospectively identified. Falls down stairs caused 261 fractures and were the fifth commonest mode of injury in all ages but the second commonest in those aged 65 years or over. Patients in this category were significantly younger than those with a fracture from a standing fall (54.6£¿yrs versus 64.9£¿yrs, ). Fractures of the ankle (odds ratio (OR) 1.9, ), talus (OR 3.0, ), calcaneus (OR 9.7, ), midfoot (OR 6.9, ), toe phalanges (OR 12.0, ), scapula (OR 4.6, ), and proximal ulna (OR 2.4, ) were significantly more likely to result from a fall involving stairs. When grouped together, the odds of any foot or ankle fracture resulting from a fall down stairs were approximately double when compared with a fall from standing (OR 2.1, ). There was a trend towards increased fracture incidence from falls down stairs with worsening social deprivation ( , ). A fall down stairs poses a substantial risk of fractures of the foot, ankle, and scapula. When examining patients with this mechanism of injury, these fracture types should be excluded. 1. Introduction There has been no previous study of the fractures caused by falls down stairs in adults. Wyatt et al. documented 51 fatal injuries caused by falls down stairs over a five-year period in the south east of Scotland, highlighting the danger of stairs, especially for the elderly [1]. With the projected increase in the proportion of elderly in the population [2], it is possible that falls down stairs may become more frequent. In the paediatric literature, stairway-related injuries have received some attention, with the majority noted to be minor injuries of the head and neck [3¨C5]. In contrast to falls from standing height, falls down stairs have the potential to cause greater skeletal injury, largely influenced by the height of the fall and the number of stairs involved [6]. Socioeconomic deprivation is known to have an influence on the incidence of fractures from falls from standing height [7], the outcome of joint replacement surgery [8], and the prevalence of chronic medical conditions such as heart disease [9]. As yet, the influence of deprivation on fractures caused by falls down stairs has not been examined. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the epidemiology of fractures
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn.epidemiology/2013/370340/