Sumaiyah Mat, Chin Teck Ng, Maw Pin Tan
Ageing and Age-Associated Disorders Research Group, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

DOI: 10.2340/16501977-2202

Loss of postural control due to hip/knee osteoarthritis is not a risk factor for falls among community-dwelling older adults

Falls in older adults are common and are leading causes of years lived with disability globally. While it would appear likely that falls occur in older adults with osteoarthritis (OA) as the result of loss of balance, this assumption has however, not been substantiated by published evidence. We found that poor dynamic postural control among fallers was not accounted for by hip/knee OA, but was confounded by old age and comorbidities. Loss of postural control due to hip/knee OA is therefore not a risk factor for falls among community-dwelling older adults.