Falling accidents on icy roads
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By Song Sang-ho
This winter has seen unusual heavy snowfalls and accidents on icy pavements, which mean people need to take extra precautions.
As muscles, joints and ligaments shrink and body flexibility is reduced due to the low temperatures, the frequency of falling on icy roads is higher and the extent of injuries is more serious.
Areas injured from falling are various, such as the wrist, the spine and the hip. By bracing the hands with excessive power when falling, wrists may get fractured and when falling backward, the spine or hip may easily get injured.
Precaution is required as over 30 percent of falling accidents happen to the elderly in their 60s or over, and there is the potential danger of a compression fracture, which is a “sunken spine,” due to the impact of falling since the elderly have a higher risk of osteoporosis.
Among the injuries, the most serious one is a hip fracture in the elderly.
Comparing to the young, the elderly have weaker muscular strength, bones and sense of balance, and are relatively less able to cope with the complications of an accident. Therefore, a small accident, such as slipping, may cause a big injury, such as a fracture.
Particularly, if the hip is fractured, it is difficult to properly move or stand up due to the pain and as the recovery period is long, secondary complications such as pressure sores and septicemia may occur.
In the elderly, a hip injury due to a fall mostly results in femoral neck fractures, and in this case artificial hip joint surgery is conducted to prevent a nonunion of the fracture or avascular necrosis.
Recently, the minimal incision technique has been introduced for this surgery and elderly patients can safely have operations as it reduces complications and side effects. It also helps fast rehabilitation and recovery by decreasing the incision site by more than half.
As surgery on the elderly has various limits and risk elements, it is important to have the treatment in a hospital with a specialized medical system and experienced surgeons.
However, the most important thing is to prevent falls on icy roads in advance. In order to do this, it is recommended for the elderly to refrain from going out on heavily snowing days. If this is not avoidable, it is recommended they be accompanied, and walk slowly using a walking stick.
Also, they should keep warm so as not to stiffen muscles and ligaments, and wear slip-resistant shoes with rough bottoms, rather than high heels, to prevent sliding. In order to prevent injury, they should wear gloves rather than putting their hands in their pockets and reducing walking speed to half of normal speed.
Prevention of osteoporosis is also required. As a fracture would not happen if bone strength is enough to absorb the impact when falling, it is recommended to normally do regular exercise to improve muscles’ strength and flexibility, and refrain from caffeine intake and smoking, which interrupt absorption of calcium. Also, regularly eating blue colored fish and milk is suggested as they contain vitamins C and D.
The writer is the president of the Wellton
Bone & Joint Hospital.