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Introduction: aging produces changes in the elderly which cause his functional deterioration and generates situations of disability. Objective: to determine the risk factors associated to falls in the elderly, according to dependence. Methods: a descriptive and cross sectional study of 57 patients who received orthopedic care in Guanabo health area of Habana del Este municipality was carried out from January to July, 2011. Results: elderly from the age group 80-89 and hips fractures as the most frequent lesions prevailed. Among the main extrinsic risk factors there were: unstable furniture, irregular floors and insufficient illumination; the intrinsic ones were hypertension, visual and osteoarticular changes. According to the index of Bather and the Lawton scale, most of the affected patients showed a degree of mild dependence for the index of Bather and 3-4 instrumental activities of the daily life, for the Lawton scale. Conclusions: the fall risk was higher in the females and it increased with age; intrinsic and extrinsic factors influenced, as well as the degree of dependence they had. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]