An apron-type hip protector saves a frail elderly woman from falls-related fracture.

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The purpose of this study is to develop the apron-type hip protector (HP), which has excellent impact force attenuation and fashionability and which is easy to be accepted by the elderly woman. The ultimate aim of the study is to prove the effects of it. The trial model of the apron-type HP was made by using the 10mm-thick Memory Foam (K.C.C. SHOKAI LIMITED, Kobe, Japan) as force-attenuator which was selected by simulated experiment. We distributed this HP to 23 of elderly women using day service, and conducted monitor investigation for one month. As a result, the usage rate of HP was as high as 75.3%, and 69.6% of participants wished continuous use. Consequently, it was demonstrated that the apron-type HP has sufficient impact-force attenuation and is acceptable to elderly women and useful for prevention of falls-related fracture.