Number of fractures increased during study period for elderly patients walking leashed dogs

Although walking a dog is a good source of physical activity for people aged 65 years and older, according to a published research letter, the incidence of fractures associated with this activity in this population has doubled from 2004 to 2017.

Researchers performed a retrospective, cross-analysis with data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. They reviewed 1,033 free-text narratives that dealt with fractures that occurred between 2004 and 2017 in patients 65 years and older that correlated with pet supplies. Of the 1,033 narratives, 697 included 32,624 cases of fall-related fractures in elderly patients due to walking leashed dogs. Adjusted Wald tests were used to determine the significance of reported trends.

Between 2004 and 2017, the annual number of patients who presented to emergency departments with fractures correlated with walking leashed dogs increased significantly from 1,671 to 4,396 fractures, respectively. Investigators noted most of the fractures were seen in women. Most patients had hip fractures; however, overall, the upper extremity was the most frequently fractured region. There were 28.7% of patients that needed hospital admission. – by Monica Jaramillo

Although walking a dog is a good source of physical activity for people aged 65 years and older, the incidence of fractures associated with this activity has doubled from 2004 to 2017.

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Disclosures: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.

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Source:

Pirruccio K, et al. JAMA Surg. 2019;doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2019.0061.