Balance function in elderly people who have and who have not fallen.

Balance function was measured by a "visual push" method in three groups of subjects aged 65 and over. These groups were comprised of 27 "recent fallers" who had fractured their wrists, 15 subjects who had fallen at least once in the previous year although not recently ("remote fallers"), and 20 subjects who had not fallen in the previous year ("nonfallers"). Subjects who had fallen recently or remotely had significantly more sway on illusory visual stimulation than subjects who had not fallen. The "visual push" test of balance may be capable of distinguishing between elderly people who are and who are not at enhanced risk of falling.