A fall in Phoenix always carries with it a risk of injury, sometimes serious. However, if your bones are already brittle due to osteoporosis, you are not only more likely to break a bone, you are more likely to die as a result. According to the American College of Rheumatology, low bone density results in one-third of all deaths related to falling.
The prevailing wisdom for many years had been that hip fractures were the most dangerous. The increased probability of death following an osteoporotic hip fracture is undeniable. However, it is not the only type of fracture that can increase your chances of dying. A 2015 study found that fractures of the wrist, arm or collarbone, which often occur when you try to use your arms to catch yourself during a fall, also increase your chances of dying within a few years’ time. Spinal fractures involved an increased risk as well. Generally speaking, the study showed that an osteoporotic fracture doubled a person’s chance of dying regardless of the site of the fracture. The only exceptions were fractures of the fingers and toes.
Though the study clearly demonstrated that the risk of dying is greater after an osteoporotic fracture, it did not give a clear indication of why fractures increase the chances of death. Making that determination will require more research. The study does make clear, however, the importance of preventing fractures from occurring in the first place. A crucial preventative step is effectively treating osteoporosis.
The information in this article is not intended as legal advice but provided for educational purposes only.
