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Background: This study aimed to identify the risk factors associated with re-displacement or collapse of distal radius fractures treated using volar locking plates in older adults.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 131 patients aged ≥65 years with distal radius fractures who underwent volar locking plate fixation. The collapse was classified into three categories: ‘radial collapse’ was determined as the top decile of patients with the greatest decrease in radial inclination; ‘dorsal collapse’ was defined by volar tilt angle on lateral or 25° tilted lateral views and ‘height collapse’ by radial height. To identify the factors related to these three types of collapses, we compared the clinical and radiological parameters between the wrists with each type of collapsed and non-collapsed wrists.

Results: Dorsal collapse had no significant associated factors and radial collapse had osteoporosis as a significant different factor. The height collapse group was associated with older age, had a higher prevalence of high-energy injury mechanisms and a limited range of flexion–extension at final follow-up and larger distance between the articular surface and distal screws.

Conclusions: The volar locking plate may effectively prevent three types of collapses. Height collapse group included patients with increased age, high-energy injury mechanisms and limited range of flexion–extension at the time of final follow-up. To prevent collapse, the longest possible distal screws must be inserted just beneath the subchondral bone.

Level of Evidence: Level IV (Therapeutic)

In this paper, we estimated the additional health capacities to work of older Vietnamese adults by applying the Milligan–Wise and Cutler–Meara–Richards-Shubik methods with various nationally representative datasets. In following these methods, we postulated that older adults’ mortality rates, life expectancies, and health statuses were comparable to their younger counterparts. We found that there were significant differences in employment rates between various groups of older male and female adults, in which women generally had higher capacities to work than men if they both had similar mortality rates. Along with other sociodemographic and economic factors, health status is a significant factor in determining the probability of being employed for older adults. Based on these findings, we discuss needed policy options, with a focus on health-related issues, for Viet Nam to unleash the potential work capacities of older adults.

The global trend of increasing life expectancy introduces new challenges with far-reaching implications. Among these, the risk of falls among older adults is particularly significant, affecting individual health and the quality of life, and placing an additional burden on healthcare systems. Existing fall detection systems often have limitations, including delays due to continuous server communication, high false-positive rates, low adoption rates due to wearability and comfort issues, and high costs. In response to these challenges, this work presents a reliable, wearable, and cost-effective fall detection system. The proposed system consists of a fit-for-purpose device, with an embedded algorithm and an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), enabling real-time fall detection. The algorithm combines a Threshold-Based Algorithm (TBA) and a neural network with low number of parameters based on a Transformer architecture. This system demonstrates notable performance with 95.29% accuracy, 93.68% specificity, and 96.66% sensitivity, while only using a 0.38% of the trainable parameters used by the other approach.

This study explores potential organizational outcomes associated with The Purpose Prize™, a prize designed to recognize the accomplishments of older adult social entrepreneurs. While previous studies have established relationships between social innovation prizes and public attention to different issues, research that has explored the impact of prizes on organizational outcomes is sparse. We present analyses based on surveys of 200 Purpose Prize™ applicants, fellows, and winners. Results suggest that the Purpose Prize™ was related to organizational-level variables, as measured by factors such as changes in budgets and media mentions. Those effects varied by number of issues addressed, whether the organization had a research component, and affiliation with the Purpose Prize™ Network. We discuss the limitations of this exploratory study, and consider the implications and the sustainable impact of prize awards on the organizations that receive them. Finally, we discuss the significance of the Prize's™ focus on older social entrepreneurs.

Food is one of the physiological needs that have an immediate impact on healthy aging. However, the persistent poverty problem in Hong Kong has increasingly made it difficult for low-income older persons to meet their basic needs. This paper examines to what extent poor older persons suffer from food insecurity and how their food insecurity is related to the different types of resources they have. Based on the data collected through a questionnaire survey and in-depth interviews, the study found that about 20% of low-income older persons experienced food insecurity, and male, older seniors, and those in a larger household with lower socio-economic status were particularly vulnerable. Among the resources that older people can utilize, public assistance and social services were found to be more conducive to food security than social capital. The implementation of a food voucher scheme and the facilitation of food distribution and social eating are suggested.

This study explores the challenges faced by the older adults during the COVID-19-induced lockdown periods in Gweru and Mutare, Zimbabwe’s third and fourth largest cities, respectively. Seventeen men and women above the age of 60 were interviewed following all COVID-19 protocols during the period April to August 2021. Semi-structured interview guides were used to gather data and Tesch’s (1990) method of thematic analysis was used to make sense of the data. Findings indicate that the older adults faced new challenges as a result of the strict lockdown and that the pandemic exacerbated the challenges that the elderly were facing. Intersectionality of challenges was also evident from the older people’s descriptions. A number of stressors were related to the pandemic restrictions, financial issues, health challenges, social challenges, and challenges of everyday living. Some participants reported mental health challenges and symptoms related to anxiety and depression. The COVID-19 pandemic presented unique psychological, economic, and social challenges to older persons in Zimbabwe. To curb such challenges in the future, there is a need to prioritize older adults during pandemic outbreaks and disasters. Adequate Universal pensions could assist in dealing with the economic challenges faced by older adults in Zimbabwe. There is a need to raise awareness and formulate structured programs on the well-being of older adults. Further research is required to map the extent of the psychological and socio-economic challenges faced by older adults in Zimbabwe.

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative articular disease. The knee joint space width (JSW) is used for grading the severity of knee OA. However, there is a lack of research on differences in the widths of knee joints between both lower limbs in unilateral OA. The purpose of this research was to examine the radiological difference in the affected knee joint and contralateral knee joint by analyzing unilateral older adults with medial knee OA using both knees’ JSW differences. Twenty-five subjects with unilateral medial knee OA participated. X-ray radiographs were used to assess knee JSW, and the paired $t$-test was performed to assess the knee joint gap width between the affected side and the unaffected side in the respective medial and lateral sides. The independent $t$-test compared the differences between the lateral and medial knee JSWs on the affected side and unaffected side. The paired $t$-test did not show a significant difference in the medial and lateral knee JSW on the affected side compared to the unaffected side ($P=0.56$; 0.11). Meanwhile, the independent $t$-test revealed a significant difference between the affected and unaffected sides ($P<0.02$). This study showed no significant changes in affected knee JSWs compared to unaffected sides, but the difference between the lateral and medial JSWs was significant between the knees affected and unaffected by OA in the older adults with medial knee OA.

Objective: To explore the impact of plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle intervention on negative emotion and rehabilitation effects in older adults after hip replacement. Methods: Between January 2019 and 2021, 100 elderly adults who underwent hip replacements were randomly divided into control ($n=50$) and study groups ($n=50$), respectively. The control group received routine nursing, whilst the study group underwent PDCA cycle interventions. Anxiety [self-rating anxiety scale [SAS]), depression (self-rating depression scale (SDS), hip function score (Harris score), daily living activities (ADL score), and adverse complication incidence before and after intervention were compared. Results: No significant difference ($P>0.05$) in SDS and SAS scores occurred between groups before intervention, but were lower in both groups after intervention Moreover, study group scores were lower than control group ($P<0.05$). Before intervention, there was no significant difference ($P>0.05$) in Harris and ADL scores between groups. Scores of both groups increased following intervention, with the study group scoring higher than the control group ($P<0.05$). Lower limb venous thrombosis, phobia, delirium, and other adverse complications were lower in the study group than in the control group ($P<0.05$). Conclusion: PDCA is safe and effectively alleviates negative emotions, promotes limb function recovery, and improves the quality of life.

Background: The decline in lower limb muscle strength, one of the risk factors for falling in the older adults, puts older persons at an increased risk of falling. The assessment of the lower limb muscle strength is very important.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to construct the equation for predicting knee extensor muscle strength based on demographic data and the results of the Five-Time Sit-to-Stand Test (FTSST).

Methods: A total of 121 healthy elders (mean age $68.00\pm 7.26$) were asked to complete the FTSST and submit the demographic information. By using a stationary push–pull dynamometer, the knee extensor strength of each participant was assessed. The multiple regression analysis was used to explore knee extensor strength prediction equation.

Results: The findings demonstrated that the knee extensor strength equation was developed using variables obtained from gender, weight, and time to complete the FTSST. The equation was found to have a high correlation ($r=0.838$) and 70.1% estimation power. Its formula was as follows: Knee extensor $\mathrm{\text{strength}}=32.735+3.688$ (gender; $\mathrm{\text{female}}=0$ or $\mathrm{\text{male}}=1$)$+$0.189 (weight)−2.617 (time to complete the FTSST). However, there was an estimating error in this equation of 4.72kg.

Conclusion: The determining factors influencing knee extensor strength, which can be utilized to estimate the strength in elderly individuals, are demographic variables including gender, weight, and the time taken to complete the FTSST.

Poncet disease (PD) is a rare form of reactive polyarthritis associated with acute tuberculosis (TB). Multiple TB foci are rare in PD, particularly on the hands. Herein, we describe a case of PD with foci in the trapezium and spine of a 76-year-old man. His medical history included knee arthritis as well as hand and lumbar pain. Radiography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed lytic lesions in the trapezium and spine, which were suspected to be caused by TB infection. An open biopsy of the trapezium and spine was performed. The biopsy results revealed dry necrosis and epithelioid granulation. The diagnosis of PD was made, and the patient was referred to a TB specialty hospital. Our results highlight the importance of considering PD in older patients with multiple TB foci, especially on the hands.

Level of Evidence: Level V (Therapeutic)

Social isolation has been defined in numerous ways in the literature. This chapter introduces the concept of structural isolation using interpersonal and collective social network measures. Specifically, I define structural isolation as the lack of attachment to a personal or collective network. Three sources of structural isolation are identified by name and position generators (egocentric personal networks) and number of memberships in voluntary groups (collective network). This chapter then suggests that structural isolation forms a mediatory path to mental health through social support structure and its functions. The mediatory path thus flows from the three sources of structural isolation to social support network and its functions to a number of depressive symptoms, a mental health outcome. The multivariate data analyses based on the 2013 Shanghai Elderly Life and Opinion survey dataset confirm that the three sources of the structural isolation form a mediatory relationship with social support and depression among older adults in Shanghai.