Abstract
BackgroundMost falls in older adults are reported during locomotion and tripping has been identified as a major cause of falls. Challenging environments (e.g., walking on slopes) are potential interventions for maintaining balance and gait skills. The aims of this study were: 1) to investigate whether or not distributions of two important gait variables [minimum toe clearance (MTC) and foot velocity at MTC (VelMTC)] and locomotor control strategies are altered during walking on sloped surfaces, and 2) if altered, are they maintained at two groups (young and elderly female groups).MethodsMTC and VelMTC data during walking on a treadmill at sloped surfaces (+3°, 0° and -3°) were analysed for 9 young (Y) and 8 elderly (E) female subjects.ResultsMTC distributions were found to be positively skewed whereas VelMTC distributions were negatively skewed for both groups on all slopes. Median MTC values increased (Y = 33%, E = 7%) at negative slope but decreased (Y = 25%, E = 15%) while walking on the positive slope surface compared to their MTC values at the flat surface (0°). Analysis of VelMTC distributions also indicated significantly (p < 0.05) lower minimum and 25th percentile (Q1) values in the elderly at all slopes.ConclusionThe young displayed a strong positive correlation between MTC median changes and IQR (interquartile range) changes due to walking on both slopes; however, such correlation was weak in the older adults suggesting differences in control strategies being employed to minimize the risk of tripping.
Highlights
Most falls in older adults are reported during locomotion and tripping has been identified as a major cause of falls
In our earlier studies [811], we have identified minimum toe clearance (MTC) as an important gait parameter associated with trip-related falls in older population in successful negotiation of the environment in which we walk
Friedman's nonparametric two-way analysis of variance test results show that maxMTC, meanMTC, STDMTC and LQRMTC at -3° slope were significantly higher than that at +3° in the young group
Summary
Most falls in older adults are reported during locomotion and tripping has been identified as a major cause of falls. The aims of this study were: 1) to investigate whether or not distributions of two important gait variables [minimum toe clearance (MTC) and foot velocity at MTC (VelMTC)] and locomotor control strategies are altered during walking on sloped surfaces, and 2) if altered, are they maintained at two groups (young and elderly female groups). Foot velocity at MTC represents an important dynamic measure of the foot at the critical event which potentially determines whether the consequent of a trip would be a fall or not
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