An ex vivo experiment to reproduce a forward fall leading to fractured and non-fractured radii

Forward falls represent a risk of injury for the elderly. The risk is increased in elderly persons with bone diseases, such as osteoporosis. However, half of the patients with fracture were not considered at risk based on bone density measurement (current clinical technique). We assume that loading conditions are of high importance and should be considered. Real loading conditions in a fall can reach a loading speed of 2 m/s on average. The current study aimed to apply more realistic loading conditions that simulate a forward fall on the radius ex vivo. Thirty radii from elderly donors (79 y.o. ± 12 y.o., 15 males, 15 females) were loaded at 2 m/s using a servo-hydraulic testing machine to mimic impact that corresponds to a fall. Among the 30 radii, 14 had a fracture after the impact, leading to two groups (fractured and non-fractured). Surfacic strain fields were measured using stereovision and allow for visualization of fracture patterns. The average maximum load was 2963 ± 1274 N. These experimental data will be useful for assessing the predictive capability of fracture risk prediction methods such as finite element models.