gender differences in intra limb coordination while walking in older people

objectives: knowledge about gender differences in intra-limb coordination during walking provides insight into the adaptability of central nervous system for controlling gait in older adults. we assessed the variability and phase dynamic of the intra-limb coordination in older men and women during walking. methods: twenty two older people, 11 female and 11 male, participated in this study. they were asked to perform walk on a treadmill at their preferred speed. deviation phase and mean absolute relative phase values-indicators of variability and phase dynamic of intra-limb coordination, respectively-were calculated using the data collected by a motion capture system. we used independent sample t-test for statistical analysis. results: the results showed that women had a significant higher deviation phase in pelvis-thigh inter-segmental relationships on both sides. additionally, the mean absolute relative phase of left pelvis-thigh, thigh-shank and shank-foot were significantly different between men and women. discussion: while women showed a lower mean absolute relative phase in pelvis-thigh, men had a lower mean absolute relative phase in shank-thigh inter-segmental relationships. we suggest that gender could affect the intra-limb coordination variability and phase dynamic during walking in older people. this may be a reflection of the great adaptability of neuromuscular system to modify control strategies for walking in older women/men.