An underwear with cushions

There may finally be a product in the market that would prevent hip fracture among elderly due to a bad fall.

There may finally be a product in the market that would prevent hip fracture among elderly due to a bad fall.

HT Image

Named as the hip protector, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has designed a special underwear that will have cushions or padding on both the sides, right over the hip bones. This would prevent the joints from fracturing in case of a fall.

“As their reflexes weaken with age, older people are not able to break the fall using the wrist and fracture mostly the hip joint,” said Dr Rajesh Malhotra, professor, department of orthopaedics, AIIMS, who is part of the team working on the project. “Studies have shown that chances of hip fractures reduce to one-third, with the use of hip protectors,” he said.

About 4.5 lakh people suffer from hip fractures in India every year.

“Chances of dying due to hip fracture are about 30 per cent within one year of the injury. Only 40 per cent of those who suffer hip fracture walk normally, the rest require some support. Hence, prevention becomes necessary,” he said.

The product looks like any regular underwear from outside, but from inside, it has been designed innovatively by the mechanical engineering department of IIT Delhi to suit the need of the elderly.

The product can be washed and dried in the machine like any garment. The institute has developed a technique for in-house manufacturing.

The Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, has funded the project. “In six months, we will begin trials on the target group,” he said.