Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Wrist fractures are the most common fragility fractures seen in older adults. The wrist fractures are more often not serious injuries but do indicate a higher risk for future more serious fractures such as hip fractures. This causes suffering, loss of function and high health care costs. With effect from aging process, people may change their activity level developing muscle weakness, balance problems and fear of falling after a wrist fracture. We have conducted a multi-national (Canada, USA and India) survey among 272 licensed Physical therapists and hand therapist from August-October 2014. Majority of the therapists' believed that they had substantial knowledge about assessment, treatment and referral options which can be opted for prevention of future falls and fractures for patients with wrist fracture. However, clinicians have focused their treatment towards improving pain, swelling, wrist and hand function and have missed the opportunity to evaluate balance, lower extremity muscle strength, bone health to identify older adults who are at risk of future fragility fracture after an episode of first wrist fracture. We need to focus our attention towards developing educational strategies which can promote therapists' engagement in secondary fall/fracture risk screening among people with wrist fracture.