Toe clearance variability during walking in young and elderly men.
نویسندگان
چکیده
Falls during walking are a major cause of injury and death in the elderly. From a falls perspective, a critical gait event is minimum toe clearance (MTC), as failure to achieve foot-ground clearance results in a trip and potentially a fall. MTC exhibits stride-to-stride variability, which must be minimised to avoid the occurrence of toe-ground contact events. Gait kinematics were acquired from 10 young and nine elderly men for 1000 sequential strides during treadmill walking. The swing toe was modelled as the endpoint of a 21 degree-of-freedom kinematic chain. Central tendency and dispersion of MTC, stance foot angles and stance and swing leg joint angles at the time of MTC (time(MTC)) were compared between the young and elderly. The relationship between joint angle variability and MTC variability was also examined in both age groups. No age-related differences in median MTC were identified, however within-subject variability of MTC was greater for the elderly than the young. The elderly also displayed less stance hip extension, greater swing hip flexion and less stance hip adduction at time(MTC) than the young. No age-related differences in stance foot or joint angle variability were identified. MTC variability was most strongly correlated with swing ankle plantar-dorsiflexion variability for the young group and stance ankle adduction-abduction variability for the elderly. In conclusion, elderly men exhibit greater MTC variability than young men, which in the absence of an age-related increase in median MTC, may increase the risk of tripping in the elderly.
منابع مشابه
Towards the importance of minimum toe clearance in level ground walking in a healthy elderly population.
Tripping is presumed to be the principal cause for falls during walking. At minimum toe clearance, the potential for trip-related falls is considered to be highest. Thus, controlling minimum toe clearance is essential for walking without tripping. In theory, the central nervous system should therefore give priority to accurate control of the variability in minimum toe clearance, as compared to ...
متن کاملDifferences in gait pattern between the elderly and the young during level walking under low illumination.
The purpose of this study was to compare changes in the gait pattern between the elderly and young during level (i.e., even surface) walking under low illumination. Vision during walking plays a role in avoiding obstacles and uneven surfaces, as well as an important role in the proactive control of dynamic stability and route planning for level walking. Fourteen elderly and fourteen young male ...
متن کاملEarly reduction in toe flexor strength is associated with physical activity in elderly men
[Purpose] To compare the toe flexor, hand grip and knee extensor strengths of young and elderly men, and to examine the association between toe flexor strength and physical activity or inactivity levels. [Subjects and Methods] Young (n=155, 18-23 years) and elderly (n=60, 65-88 years) men participated in this study. Toe flexor, hand grip, and knee extensor strength were measured. Physical activ...
متن کاملEffects of shoe sole geometry on toe clearance and walking stability in older adults.
Thirty-five percent of people above age 65 fall each year, and half of their falls are associated with tripping: tripping, an apparently 'mundane' everyday problem, therefore, significantly impacts on older people's health and associated medical costs. To avoid tripping and subsequent falling, sufficient toe clearance during the swing phase is crucial. We previously found that a rocker-shaped s...
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید
ثبت ناماگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید
ورودعنوان ژورنال:
- Gait & posture
دوره 28 1 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2008