Clinical trial NCT00988572: Vestibular Rehabilitation for Patients With Fall-related Wrist Fractures
Official title: Vestibular Rehabilitation for Patients With Fall-related Wrist Fractures - a Randomized Controlled Trial
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Wrist Fractures
Dizziness
Keywords: Wrist fractures
Vestibular asymmetry
Vestibular rehabilitation
Fall-related wrist fractures
Patients 50 years or older
Lead sponsor: Lund University
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2009-10-02
Enrollment: 82
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 50
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: Dizziness has been identified as a risk factor for fall and vestibular asymmetry has been found among patients with fall-related wrist fractures as well as among patients with hip-fracture. Since wrist fracture is a risk factor for hip-fracture, much effort is focused on preventing falls for risk-groups. Therefore, it would be interesting to find out if it is possible to influence vestibular asymmetry with vestibular rehabilitation.

The aim of this study is therefore to find out if vestibular rehabilitation can have any effect on vestibular function among patients with fall-related wrist fracture.

Detailed description: Fall-related fractures are an increasing problem for the society. Almost 30% of persons over 65 years of age fall each year. In Sweden 627 persons out of 100 000 is treated in hospitals because of injury after a fall. In Malmö, the figure is 883 persons out of 100 000. However, not all falls lead to a fracture. Dizziness has been identified as a risk factor for fall and vestibular asymmetry has been found among patients with fall-related wrist fractures as well as among patients with hip-fracture.

Vestibular rehabilitation programs were first developed in the forties, originally used for peripheral vestibular disorder, in order to facilitate recovery. Modern research has widened the use of vestibular rehabilitation to patients with other causes of dizziness than peripheral vestibular disorders. Since wrist fracture is a risk factor for hip-fracture, much effort is focused on preventing falls for risk-groups. Therefore, it would be interesting to find out if it is possible to influence vestibular asymmetry with vestibular rehabilitation.

The aim of this study is therefore to find out if vestibular rehabilitation can have any effect on vestibular function among patients with fall-related wrist fracture.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Fall-related wrist fracture
* 50 years or older

Exclusion Criteria:

* Younger than 50
* Wrist fracture not related to fall

Primary outcomes:
measure: Vestibular function measured by head shake test
timeFrame: At baseline and at follow-up after 3 months
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Analyze of gait using electronic walkway
timeFrame: At baseline and at follow up after 3 months
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Malmö
country: Sweden
facility: Lund University, Dep Clin Sci in Malmö/Family Practice
Study officials:
affiliation: Lund University
name: Eva Ekvall Hansson, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Kristinsdottir EK, Jarnlo GB, Magnusson M. Asymmetric vestibular function in the elderly might be a significant contributor to hip fractures. Scand J Rehabil Med. 2000 Jun;32(2):56-60. doi: 10.1080/003655000750045550.
citation: Kristinsdottir EK, Nordell E, Jarnlo GB, Tjader A, Thorngren KG, Magnusson M. Observation of vestibular asymmetry in a majority of patients over 50 years with fall-related wrist fractures. Acta Otolaryngol. 2001 Jun;121(4):481-5.
citation: Hansson, EE. Vestibular Rehabilitation - for whom and how? Advances in Physiotherapy 9:106-116. 2007
citation: Najafi DA, Dahlberg LE, Hansson EE. A combination of clinical balance measures and FRAX(R) to improve identification of high-risk fallers. BMC Geriatr. 2016 May 3;16:94. doi: 10.1186/s12877-016-0266-6.