Hip Protectors — A Breakthrough in Fracture Prevention

Hip fractures are one of the most devastating and costly problems commonly faced by elderly people. Each year in the United States, more than 300,000 people 65 years old or older are hospitalized because of hip fractures,1 and about a quarter of these people survive for less than one year because of the fracture or its complications.2 Of those who survive, most have substantial reductions in their ability to function in daily life and in their ability to walk, and a sizable minority are living in long-term care institutions by the end of the year after injury.2 Most previous attempts . . .