Citation

Kwon MS, Kwon YR, Park YS, Kim JW. Technol. Health Care 2018; 26(S1): 427-436.

Affiliation

BK21 Plus Research Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Konkuk University, Chungju, Korea.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, European Society for Engineering and Medicine, Publisher IOS Press)

DOI

10.3233/THC-174736

PMID

29758966

Abstract

Gait is associated with an important risk factor of falls in the elderly. It is important to find differences of quantitative gait variables between fallers and non-fallers. The aim of this study was to investigate gait patterns in elderly fallers and non-fallers. Thirty-eight fallers and 38 non-fallers of similar age and height participated in this study. Subjects walked across the GaitRite walkway at self-selected comfortable speeds. Spatio-temporal gait variables were measured to characterize gait patterns. Kinetic variables were derived from normalized vertical ground reaction force (GRF). Independent t-tests were performed to compare the fallers with the non-fallers. The fallers walked more slowly with shorter steps and more variable step times than the non-fallers (p< 0.05). The fallers showed a longer stance phase with increased double-limb support than the non-fallers (p< 0.05). The times to reach maximal weight acceptance and mid-stance of the fallers were significantly longer than those of the non-fallers (p< 0.05). These results suggest that spatio-temporal variables and GRF variables would be useful for distinguishing prospective fallers from non-fallers among the elderly.

Language: en

Keywords

Gait; elderly; fall; gait variable; ground reaction force