According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) there were up to 258,000 hospital admissions for hip fractures among people aged 65 and older in 2010. It is estimated that by 2030, the number of hip fractures will reach 289,000, which is an increase of 12%.

Most hip fractures in the elderly are caused by falls or trauma to the hip. Geriatric patients with osteoporosis are at a greater risk of hip fracture in the event of a fall.  Medical conditions and physical inactivity are among the other factors that contribute to hip fractures among older people. >>

To assist parents and coaches in protecting young athletes from the serious head injuries that can result from returning to play too soon after a suffering a concussion, The Valley Hospital Sports Institute offers the ImPACT Concussion Management Test.  ImPACT (Immediate Post Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) is an innovative computerized evaluation system that assesses the effects and severity of a concussion and helps determine when it is safe for an athlete to return to contact sports following a concussion. >>

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Balance is something most people take for granted and nobody knows that more than Chris Henry of Palmer Township.

For the last few years she has had serious problems with her balance and couldn't get much help from doctors.

"It's not frustrating, it's devastating," she said. "I have to hold the wall all the time because when you walk you feel like walking on a cloud," she recalled about what it used to be like for her.

"I was falling on the floor unconscious from taking showers," she said. Henry was at her wits' end and said she even got depressed because nobody was able to pinpoint what was wrong and offer a solution. >>

South Charleston’s Thomas Memorial Hospital recognized the need for a Biodex Unweighing System in support of its stroke patients. Treadmill training in the safety of the harness and body-weight support allows stroke patients the right therapy environment. Kelly McGrew, physical therapist, notes that the Unweighting System helps improve both speed and balance.  “The Biodex Unweighing System gets you to the next level,” McGrew said. "With strokes, you want to do repetition, repetition, repetition because that's how they recover." >>

In 2006, 13-year-old Zack Lystedt suffered multiple concussions in a football game, which resulted in serious long-term brain injuries. Zack’s case inspired patient advocates, who successfully lobbied the Washington State Legislature to adopt the nation’s first “concussion law” in 2009.

Since then, more than 40 state legislatures have enacted concussion laws. These laws typically require removing players who suffer suspected sports-related concussions from sports activities until a health care professional clears them to return to play. While these laws are well-intentioned, and have strong popular and physician appeal, they may inadvertently pose new liability risks to pediatricians and other health care professionals. >>