Widely used in Europe, hip protectors are less popular in North America, though several studies have suggested they can prevent fractures and save medical costs.

One garment costs anywhere from $30 to $150, and users would typically need fewer than 10 per year. A recent Canadian study estimated that if hip protectors were routinely used in nursing homes, they would prevent hip fractures at less expense than calcium and vitamin which are commonly used to treat osteoporosis.

The new study, reported in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, estimated the effects of giving hip protectors to elderly adults living on their own.

The researchers based their findings on a "hypothetical" group of men and women age 65 and up, using data from past studies on hip protector effectiveness.

They estimate that hip protectors could prevent fractures and boost life expectancy for older adults of all ages. For women who start using them at age 75 and men who start in their 80s, hip protectors could also translate into lower medical costs.

For the oldest adults, the garments could mean less time in a nursing home, according to the researchers, led by Dr. Lisa A. Honkanen of Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York.

Hip protectors became cost-effective only at older ages because fracture risk generally climbs with age. But if the garments were given to those relatively younger seniors who have a high hip fracture risk, the benefits might become more apparent, the researchers speculate.

For now, they conclude, the current findings might encourage more doctors and older adults to use hip protectors outside of the nursing home, and more insurers to foot the bill.

SOURCE: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, November 2006.