Comparison of temporal and kinetic walking parameters among young people and falling and non-falling elderly persons (original) (raw)
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Kinetic alterations independent of walking speed in elderly fallers
Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2000
To determine if joint kinetic gait alterations in fallers persist when they attempt to walk at a faster speed that is more comparable with nonfallers' comfortable walking speed. Retrospective, case-control study. Stereophotogrammetric and force platform data were collected. A gait laboratory. Sixteen elderly subjects who had at least 2 falls in the last 6 months from an unclear cause and 23 elderly subjects with no history of repeated falls. Differences in all major peak joint kinetic (moment and power) values during the gait cycle between elderly nonfallers walking at comfortable speed and elderly fallers walking at (1) comfortable and (2) fast speed. Statistically significant differences present at both comfortable and fast walking speeds were present in 4 sagittal plane parameters. There was an increase in peak external hip flexion moment in stance, a reduction in peak hip extension moment, a reduction in knee flexion moment in preswing, and a reduction in knee power absorption in preswing. The presence and persistence of 4 specific alterations in sagittal plane joint kinetics at both comfortable and fast walking speeds imply specific intrinsic pattern differences and allow for new insights into the mechanics of gait in elderly people who fall. The presence of these alterations also suggests they may serve as potential identifiable markers to detect those who may be at risk for falls.
Effects of age-related gait changes on the biomechanics of slips and falls
2003
A laboratory study was conducted to examine gait changes associated with aging and the effect of these changes on initiation of slips and frequency of falls utilizing newly defined biomechanical parameters of slips and falls. Twenty-eight participants from two age groups (young and old) walked around a circular track at a comfortable pace wearing a safety harness. A slippery floor surface was placed on the walking track over the force plate at random time intervals without the participants' awareness. Synchronized kinetic and kinematic measurements were obtained on both slippery and non-slippery walking surfaces. The results indicated that older participants' horizontal heel contact velocity was significantly faster, step length was significantly shorter, and transitional acceleration of the whole body centre-of-mass (COM) was significantly slower than younger participants. Older participants' initial friction demand, as measured by required coefficient of friction (RCOF), was not significantly different than their younger counterparts. Additionally, older participants slipped longer and faster, and fell more often than younger participants. A comparison of horizontal heel contact velocity for participants who fell with participants who did not fall indicated that, in general, fallers' horizontal heel contact velocity was faster than non-fallers. However, a comparison of RCOF for participants who fell with participants who did not fall suggested that RCOF was not a totally deterministic factor influencing actual fall events. These findings suggest that gait changes associated with aging (especially higher horizontal heel contact velocity and slower transition of the whole body COM) affect initiation of slip-induced falls.
Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 2011
The present study compared the ground reaction forces and temporospatial characteristics of the initial foot movement following anteroposterior platform perturbation between elderly fallers and non-fallers. [Subjects] Eighty-one elderly female subjects aged between 60 to 70 years were divided into faller (N=36) and non-faller (N=45) groups. [Methods] A motorized platform translation was applied as a perturbation. The response characteristics were recorded using a forceplate and a six-video camera 3D Vicon™ motion analysis system. [Results] Both faller and non-faller groups showed a forward single step pattern greater than a backward single step pattern. The swing duration time of the non-faller group was signifi cantly longer than that of the fallers, whereas step velocity of the fallers showed higher values than that of the non-fallers during forward single step. [Conclusion] The step ability in the faller group was decreased compared to the non-faller group during the forward single step. The findings suggest that the muscle performance of the primary muscles for balance recovery should be promoted in the elderly. Moreover, stability and ability to stand on one leg should be a measurement and training concern for the elderly to reduce the likelihood of falls.
Balance, gait, functionality and strength: comparison between elderly fallers and non-fallers
Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy, 2015
Background: Accidental falls are a major health problem related to aging and affect one in every three elderly individuals over the age of sixty. Objective: To evaluate and compare the muscle strength, gait kinematics parameters, and performance in functional tests between elderly subjects with and without a prior history of falls. In addition, the association between the history of falls and the variables that demonstrated differences between groups were tested. Method: 62 elderly subjects participated in the study and were allocated to the group with falls history (FG; n=20; 68.0±6.9 years old) or the group without falls history (CG; n=42; 65.5±4.1 years old). Maximal strength, gait kinematics parameters, and functional tests were tested. Results: The FG showed lower muscle strength in the knee flexors (51.45±8.6 vs. 62.09±19 Kg), lower average toe clearance during the swing phase (0.04±0.006 vs. 0.043 ± 0.005 m), and lower performance in the "8-foot up-and-go" test (5.3±0.7 vs. 5.8±0.7 s) (p<0.05). There were no associations between any variables and falls, but the increased time in the "8-foot up-and-go" test may double the likelihood of a fall occurring. Conclusion: Fallers have reduced lower limb strength, gait alterations, the worst performance in the dynamic balance test, and an increased risk of falls.
NeuroRehabilitation, 1999
The purpose of the researchers was to determine if there is a difference in the Functional Ambulation Performance score and step/extremity ratio of senior adults with and without a history of falls walking at a preferred velocity. A random sample of twenty-four senior adults was selected to participate in this study. The participants underwent several tests for balance, strength, ankle flexibility, and foot sensation. Statistical analysis of the two groups demonstrated a significant decrease in FAP score for those with a history of falls. They had lower values for step/extremity ratios, mean normalized velocity, and greater values for step times, heel to heel base of support, and percent in double support. There was also a significant decrease in balance, strength, and tactile sensation between the two groups. These findings suggest that there is a measurable decrease in the performance of gait in senior adults who have fallen that may be related to diminished strength, balance, and tactile sensation.
Gait characteristics as a function of age and gender
Gait & Posture, 1994
Sixty male and fifty-eight female subjects ranging in age from 20 to 79 years performed walking at a controlled pace barefoot, wearing standard shoes, and wearing their personal shoes. Additionally these subjects performed walking in the standard shoe at a freely selected speed. Selected kinematic variables for the knee and ankle joint complexes and ground reaction forces were measured in three dimensions to determine differences with respect to age and gender. Additionally a comparison of the path of motion during ground contact and the active range of motion measured in a range of motion fixture were made. A multivariate analysis revealed a number of the kinematic and kinetic variables which were significantly different although the absolute differences were generally small. The comparison of path of motion and range of motion revealed a high correlation for abduction and adduction and plantarflexion and dorsiflexion. It is speculated that changes in gait pattern with increasing age are associated with decreasing muscle strength and a need for increased stability during locomotion with increasing age. The high correlation between path of motion and range of motion is associated with the decrease in muscle strength with increasing age, which is assumed to influence both path of motion and range of motion.
The characteristics of walking in old men analysed from the ground reaction force
人類學雜誌, 1988
The ground reaction forces during walking were investigated to detect the characteristics of walking in old men. The sixty-six subjects of ages ranging from twenty-three to seventy-eight years walked on the force plate with barefoot at their ordinary speeds and gait styles. The normalized impulses of brake and acceleration of the sagittal force (Fy) were decreased in old men. The side sway peak value and its normalized impulse were slightly increased in old men. The first and the second peaks of the vertical force (Fz) were decreased and the polar minimum value of Fz was increased in old men. The step length, speed and grip strength showed the clear decrease in old men. It was concluded that the characteristics of walking in old men were the walking with slow speed, short step length, weak Fy forces and normalized impulses and little vertical movements. It was also concluded that the interpretations of each principal component from the principal component analysis were almost the same in age groups in one's 20's, 30's, and 40's, and they were different from one another in age groups in one's 50's, 60's, and 70's, suggestinng that the walking became to change at one's 50's.
European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine, 2014
Fall is a common and a major cause of injuries. It is important to find elderlies who are prone to falls. The majority of serious falls occur during walking among the older adults. Analyzing the spatio-temporal parameters of walking is an easy way of assessment in the clinical setting, but is it capable of distinguishing a faller from a non-faller elderly? Through a systematic review of the literature, the objective of this systematic review was to identify and summarize the differences in the spatio-temporal parameters of walking in elderly fallers and non-fallers and to find out if these parameters are capable of distinguishing a faller from a non-faller. All original research articles which compared any special or temporal walking parameters in faller and non-faller elderlies were systematically searched within the Scopus and Embase databases. Effect size analysis was also done to standardize findings and compare the gait parameters of fallers and non-fallers across the selected ...
Gait & Posture, 1997
Walking is one of the most common of all human movements. It exists to transport the body safely and efficiently across ground level, uphill or downhill. Walking is learned during the first year of life and reaches maturity around 7 until 60 years. Elderly walking performance then starts to decline and the elderly slow down gradually. Falls are a major cause of morbidity in the elderly and in almost all incidences of falls, some aspects of locomotion have been implicated. With the increased life expectancy of the elderly and their more active lifestyle there is now an emphasis on determining any changes that occur in their gait patterns in order to reduce the frequency of falls, to identify diagnostic measures that are reliable predictors of fall-prone elderly and finally to develop programs for preventing such falls. This review addresses the gait related changes in the elderly in order to pinpoint the effect of normal aging for comparison with different gait deviations related to some pathologies. Spatio-temporal, kinematics, kinetics and EMG data will be reviewed as well as the physiological changes associated with gait and aging. Finally, the selection criteria will be reviewed and recommendation on the urgent need of a valid healthy elderly database will be addressed. 0 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.