A new gait-stabilizing device for footwear reduces the risk of injurious falls during winter months for older, fall-prone adults, a study says.

The Journal of the American Geriatric Society says the Yaktrax Walker is a plastic netting sized to conform to the bottom of a boot or shoe. Participants in the study were asked to wear the device outdoors over their normal winter footwear and keep a diary of any falls.



A total of 43 outdoor falls were reported by participants in the study group who wore their usual winter footwear, compared with just 19 falls in the group using the Yaktrax device. There were 10 minimally injurious falls in the usual winter footwear group but only one minimally injurious fall in the Yaktrax group.



According to the study, falling is the leading cause of accidental death – the sixth leading cause of all deaths in older people.



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