FRIDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) -- Each year, more than 47,000 elderly patients go to the emergency department after being injured in falls associated with walkers and canes, according to a study published online June 23 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Judy A. Stevens, Ph.D., of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and colleagues examined six years of emergency department data (2001 to 2006) on falls associated with walkers and canes in people age 65 years and older. The data was from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System All Injury Program, which involves a sample of 66 U.S. hospital emergency departments.

The researchers found that from 2001 to 2006, 129 Americans (on average) age 65 years and older were treated in emergency departments every day for falls related to walkers and canes. Walkers were associated with 87 percent of the injuries, and walker-related injuries were seven times as common as cane-related injuries. However, the rates of fractures associated with walkers and canes were similar (38 and 40 percent, respectively). The authors further note that elderly women accounted for a higher rate of walker and cane-related injuries (78 and 66 percent, respectively).

"Walking aids are very important in helping many older adults maintain their mobility," Stevens said in a statement "However, it's important to make sure people use these devices safely. Walkers are often used by frail and vulnerable older adults; people for whom falls, if they occur, can have very serious health consequences."

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