Toronto Rehab researcher braves freezing winter conditions to study slips and falls this summer

It’s hard to imagine freezing winter weather these days but Toronto Rehab student researcher, Jennifer Hsu, who is a PhD candidate in biomedical and mechanical engineering at the University of Toronto, is putting on her parka and heading into the Controlled Climate Performance Lab at Toronto Rehab’s University Centre. She is studying  how well winter boots do on a variety of winter surfaces in this unique lab – where temperature and humidity can be changed to replicate a range of environmental conditions from frozen winter (-20C) to stifling summer (+35C).

Walking in winter conditions can be downright dangerous. Injuries related to a fall on ice or snow is a growing problem, especially in an aging society:
 

• The cost of treating falls puts a heavy burden on the health care system. In 2004-2005 alone, more than 21,000 Ontarians visited an emergency room because of injuries related to a fall on ice or snow.
• A fall can be the start of a downward spiral in an older person’s health and quality of life. One in three seniors in Canada falls annually and up to 40 per cent of those who suffer a broken hip will die within a year.
• Fall-related injuries have been estimated to cost the Canadian health care system $2.8 billion a year.

Current research is looking at how to help Canadian postal workers - who are particularly at risk of slipping and falling because they work outdoors in all types of weather and on all types of surfaces- walk safely in winter. Boots that are designed specifically to work on ice and snow are one thing, but many people – including postal workers – routinely in winter walk across a range of different surfaces such as concrete, ceramic tiles, ice and snow.

Jennifer’s study results will be used to make recommendations on effective forms of protective footwear against slips and falls on inclines and transitions, as well as to develop improved winter footwear design criteria.

Her current research is studying a young healthy population but in the long term, her goal is to determine the best winter footwear designs for protecting everyone.