Effects of age-related changes in trunk and lower limb coordination on gait

Abstract

Background: The ability to walk is crucial for maintaining independence and a high quality of life among older adults. Although gait characteristics have been extensively studied in older adults, most studies have investigated muscle activity in the joints of the trunk or the lower limbs without assessing their coordinated interactions. Thus, the causes of altered trunk and lower limb coordination patterns and gait changes among older adults remain unknown. Therefore, this study compared the joint kinematic parameters of both the trunk and lower limbs of young versus older adults to identified key factors leading to changes in gait among older adults. Methods: In total, 64 older (32 males, aged 68.34 ± 7.38 years; 32 females, aged 67.16 ± 6.66 years) and 64 young (32 males, aged 19.44 ± 0.84 years; 32 females, aged 19.69 ± 0.86 years) healthy adults participated in this study. The range of motion (ROM) of the thorax, pelvis, and trunk in the horizontal plane and of the hip, knee, and ankle joints of the lower limbs in the sagittal plane were measured using a motion capture system with wearable sensors. Two-way analysis of variance assessed differences in ROM by age, sex, and basic gait parameters; Pearson correlation analysis assessed the coordinated patterns of the trunk and lower limbs, identifying key factors leading to gait changes in older adults. Results: Gait length, speed, and stride in young adults were greater (p < 0.001) than those in older adults, but older women displayed the fastest stride speed (p < 0.05). ROM values for the pelvis, thorax, trunk, knee joint, and ankle joint of young adults were greater (p < 0.05) than those in older adults. However, hip ROM in older adults was significantly greater than that in young adults (p < 0.05). Conclusion: With increasing age, ROM of the lower limbs, especially the ankle joint, decreased significantly, resulting in a significant decrease in gait speed. As ROM of the pelvis decreased, stride decreased significantly in older adults, who compensate through thoracic rotation. Thus, older adults should enhance muscle strength and increase ROM to improve gait patterns and quality of life.

Flexible Strain Sensors for Walking Gait Monitoring

“…Knee joint angle measurements are essential in medicine, rehabilitation, sports science, and biomechanics. By measuring the angle changes of the knee joint under different activity and movement conditions, researchers can analyze biomechanical properties such as joint movement patterns, mechanical load distribution, and joint stability to understand further and improve human movement and gait [56].…”

Patellar malalignment: A common disorder associated with knee pain

“…The TF joint controls movement during level walking, while the PF joint is involved in knee flexion-extension. The range of motion of the TF joint during level walking is 0-60° [ 1 , 2 ]. During stair climbing (usually >80°), the PF joint is proportionally involved [ 1 , 3 ].…”