Best Evidence Summary for Improving Self-Awareness of Falls in Elderly Postoperative Patients with Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fracture.

PURPOSE: This study aims to evaluate and synthesize the best available evidence for improving the self-awareness of falls in elderly postoperative patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF), so as to provide a reference for clinical practice.

METHODS

This evidence summary was conducted in accordance with the reporting standards established by the Fudan University Center for Evidence-Based Nursing. Guided by the "6S" evidence pyramid model, we systematically searched relevant domestic and international databases and official websites to retrieve literature concerning the improvement of the self-awareness of falls in elderly postoperative patients with OVCF, covering the time frame from database inception to December 2025. Two researchers independently assessed the quality of all included literature, and subsequently performed evidence extraction, synthesis, and grading in strict compliance with established evidence-based criteria.

RESULTS

A total of 15 studies were included, consisting of 1 clinical decision, 5 guidelines, 5 expert consensuses, 3 systematic reviews, and 1 evidence summary. From these, 28 best-evidence recommendations were identified and categorized into six domains: establishing a multidisciplinary team, fall-related assessment and screening, health education and guidance, osteoporosis self-management, rehabilitation therapy, and follow-up and evaluation.

CONCLUSION

This study summarizes the best available evidence on improving the self-awareness of falls in elderly postoperative patients with OVCF, thereby providing guidance for clinical practice. However, high-quality direct evidence in this research field remains limited, and further rigorous studies are required to continuously update and enrich the evidence base. In clinical application, individualized intervention plans should be formulated based on personalized fall risk profiles and patient preferences, to effectively reduce fall incidence and prevent postoperative refractures.