Support moments in the leg during level walking: A measure of balance performance in the elderly

Timothy Raymond Kempf, Purdue University

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to quantify a measure of balance in a group of elderly individuals and to compare these measurements in relation to the age, gender and level of participation in physical exercise of these subjects. Forty-four subjects between the ages of 40 and 80 years walked at their natural cadence across a force platform while simultaneously being videotaped. Ten trials were performed by each subject. The data from five trials acquired during the stance phase of level walking were used to solve the inverse dynamics problem of determining the moments of force at the ankle, knee and hip joints of the support leg. An Analysis of Variance design was used to compare the peak moments of force at each joint during the period in which the muscle groups at each joint are contributing to the support of the body. The older subjects and the female subjects tended to produce smaller ankle joint moments (p $<$.01) than their younger and male counterparts, respectively, during the push-off phase of walking. The older subjects also tended to produce smaller knee joint moments (p =.07) during weight acceptance, and the hip joint moments appeared to be more affected by the activity level of the subject, also during weight acceptance, with smaller hip joint moments in the non-active group (p $<$.02). The joint moments in the lower limb, assessed during level walking, represent the net agonist-antagonist muscle activity produced in the leg for the purposes of support and propulsion of the body. Smaller joint moments have implications for balance problems and the use of joint moments in the assessment of balance problems must be made in light of an individual's age, gender and level of participation in physical exercise.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Widule, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Anatomy & physiology|Animals|Sports medicine|Gerontology

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