Citation

Lee HJ, Chou LS. Arch. Phys. Med. Rehabil. 2006; 87(4): 569-575.

Affiliation

Department of Human Physiology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.apmr.2005.11.033

PMID

16571399

Abstract

Lee H-J, Chou L-S. Detection of gait instability using the center of mass and center of pressure inclination angles. OBJECTIVE: To define a parameter that quantifies balance control during gait and better identifies elderly people who are at a higher risk of falling. DESIGN: Controlled study. SETTING: University research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Twelve elderly patients (mean age, 76.9+/-6y) with complaints of imbalance during walking, or with a history of falls, and 12 matched healthy elderly adults. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Temporal-distance gait parameters (gait velocity, stride length, step width); and sagittal and frontal center of mass (COM) and center of pressure (COP) inclination angles. RESULTS: Elderly patients demonstrated a significantly greater medial, but a significantly smaller anterior, inclination angle than their matched controls during both unobstructed and obstructed gait. The medial COM-COP inclination angle was not affected by the gait velocity in the healthy elderly. When the 2 groups were compared at a similar gait velocity ( approximately 1m/s), the elderly patients still had a significantly greater medial COM-COP inclination angle than did the controls. CONCLUSIONS: Instantaneous COM-COP inclination angles during walking provide information about the ability to control COM position in relation to the corresponding COP. The medial COM-COP inclination angle may be a sensitive measure of gait stability in the elderly.

Language: en