Wrist impact velocities are smaller in forward falls than backward falls from standing.

The wrist is a common fracture site for both young and older adults. The purpose of this study was to compare wrist kinematics in backward and forward falls with different fall protective responses. We carried out within-subject comparison of impact velocities and maximum velocities during descent of the distal radius among three different fall configurations: (a) backward falls with knees flexed, (b) backward falls with knees extended and (c) forward falls with knees flexed.

Strategies for avoiding hip impact during sideways falls.

Unlabelled: During a fall, hip fracture risk increases 30-fold if there is direct impact to the hip. We conducted sideways falling experiments and found that subjects were able to avoid hip impact by rotating forward or by rotating backward during descent. These simple safe-landing strategies should be considered in designing hip fracture prevention programs.