The gait pattern in post-menopausal women. Pilot study.

BACKGROUND Aging brings about a number of degenerative changes in the body. The aging process in-creases its pace after the menopause. Women notice functional limitations in their daily lives, including mobility problems, as early as in their forties. Gait is one of the most reliable parameters reflecting the body's overall function and condition. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of menopause on gait patterns in healthy women. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study involved a group of 48 healthy women (divided into Group A of pre-menopausal women and Group B of post-menopausal women). Gait parameters were acquired by a DynaPort MiniMod accelerometer. The pre- and post-menopausal women's gait data, including spatio-temporal parameters, gait cycle phases and the variability, were analysed. RESULTS There were no significant differences between Group A and B in walking speed, step length, cadence, and gait phase duration. Significant differences were only noted in gait cycle phases with regard to the onset of single-support of the right limb, the 1st double-support of the right limb and the 2nd double-support of the left limb. Gait variability did not show any significant differences between the groups. CONCLUSIONS 1. A prolonged stance phase during the gait cycle observed in the post-menopausal women in this study is a typical finding in aged people. 2. However, stride-to-stride variability of gait was not affected in the study.