Vestibular Rehabilitation for Patients With Fall-related Wrist Fractures

Dizziness Clinical Trial

Official title:

Vestibular Rehabilitation for Patients With Fall-related Wrist Fractures - a Randomized Controlled Trial

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT00988572
• Other study ID #: Radius
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: October 1, 2009
• Last updated: March 30, 2015
• Start date: March 2009
• Est. completion date: March 2014

Study information

• Verified date: March 2015
• Source: Lund University
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: Sweden: Regional Ethical Review Board
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial 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.

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.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 82
• Est. completion date: March 2014
• Est. primary completion date: February 2013
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 50 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Fall-related wrist fracture

• 50 years or older

Exclusion Criteria:

• Younger than 50

• Wrist fracture not related to fall

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Single Blind (Outcomes Assessor), Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Dizziness
• Fractures, Bone
• Wrist Fractures

Intervention

Other:
• Vestibular rehabilitation
The intervention program comprises of vestibular rehabilitation, at group sessions, twice a week for 9 weeks. The program is described in detail in table 1. Vestibular rehabilitation aims to facilitate rearrangement and recruitment of the control capacities of the vestibular system, by letting the patient be exposed to unstable body positions, such as standing on foam and performing head, trunk or eye-movements.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Sweden	Lund University, Dep Clin Sci in Malmö/Family Practice	Malmö

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Lund University

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Sweden, 

References & Publications (3)

Hansson, EE. Vestibular Rehabilitation - for whom and how? Advances in Physiotherapy 9:106-116. 2007

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. — View Citation

Kristinsdottir EK, Nordell E, Jarnlo GB, Tjäder 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. — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Vestibular function measured by head shake test		At baseline and at follow-up after 3 months	No
Secondary	Analyze of gait using electronic walkway		At baseline and at follow up after 3 months	No