Characterizing the demands of backward balance loss and fall recovery during stair descent to prevent injury

Abstract

Understanding the demands of balance recovery on stairs is important for developing strategies to prevent falls on stairs. This study characterized recovery strategies and whole-body movement following unexpected backward balance loss during stair descent in twelve young adults. Following balance loss, peak downward COM velocity was approximately double that experienced during non-perturbation stair descent. Participants used several balance recovery strategies: harness reliance (n = 1), no grasping reaction (n = 3), and grasping some environmental feature (n = 8). Of the five participants who used the handrail, four demonstrated grasping errors. Peak resultant handrail forces ranged from 24.2N to 238.3N. The results highlight the challenge of balance recovery during stair descent, showing that some people will use any available surface to arrest a fall. Our findings serve as a benchmark to understand the impact of stair-related interventions on fall recovery.