Mechanical energy transfers across lower limb segments during stair ascent and descent in young and healthy older adults

Novak, Alison C.; Li, Qingguo; Yang, Shuozhi; Brouwer, Brenda

doi:10.1016/j.gaitpost.2011.06.007

Cited by 22 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Stair negotiation is a complex locomotor task that imposes significant challenges to movement control in persons of all ages [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. Compared to level walking, stair ambulation demands greater balance control.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age-related differences in dynamic balance control during stair descent and effect of varying step geometry

et al. 2016

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The incidence of stairway falls and related injuries remains persistently high; however, the risk of stair injuries could be reduced through improved stairway design. The current study investigated dynamic balance control during stair descent and the effects of varying the step geometry. Data were collected from 20 healthy young and 20 older adults as they descended three staircases (riser heights of 7, 7.5 and 8 inches (178, 190 and 203 mm, respectively)). At each riser height, the tread run length was varied between 8 and 14 inches (203 mm and 356 mm) in one-inch (25 mm) increments. Kinematic data provided measures of segmental and whole-body dynamic control. Results demonstrated that older adults had greater lateral tilt of the upper body than young adults, but actually had larger margins of stability than the young in the antero-posterior direction as a result of their slower cadence. Nonetheless, for both age groups, the longer run lengths were found to provide the largest margins of stability. In addition, increase in run length and decrease in riser height tended to reduce forward upper body tilt. These results help to explain the underlying biomechanical factors associated with increased risk of falls and the relationship with step geometry. Considering the importance of stair ambulation in maintaining independence and activity in the community, this study highlights the definite need for safer stair design standards to minimize the risk of falls and increase stair safety across the lifespan.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age-related differences in dynamic balance control during stair descent and effect of varying step geometry

et al. 2016

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“…Stair negotiation (ascent and descent) is among the most demanding activities of daily living and an essential skill for independent ambulation, with difficulty reported by one third of community-dwelling older adults [1,2]. Compared to level ground walking, stair ascent and descent have been shown to be significantly more demanding biomechanical and neuromuscular tasks [3][4][5], and as a result, aging individuals employ adaptation techniques in stair negotiation as their strength and joint mobility decline [6]. For those with limited mobility, such as individuals who have suffered a stroke, the impact of residual impairments in strength, movement coordination, and balance may become more pronounced with increased task demands, thus limiting the independence of these individuals.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measurement of Lower Limb Joint Kinematics using Inertial Sensors During Stair Ascent and Descent in Healthy Older Adults and Stroke Survivors

Laudanski¹,

Brouwer

Li³

2013

Journal of Healthcare Engineering

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This study validated the feasibility of inertial sensors in estimating lower limb joint kinematics during stair ambulation in healthy older adults and stroke survivors. Three dimensional motion data were collected using an inertial sensor-based system from 9 persons with stroke and 9 healthy older adults as they ascended and descended a staircase at a self-selected pace. The measured joint angles were compared with a laboratory-based motion capture system by computing differences in range of motion (RoM), grand mean error, standard deviation, and coefficients of multiple correlations. For stroke survivors, differences in RoM measurements between these two systems were determined to be 3.3 ± 8.1°, while the highest correlations were found in the estimation of sagittal plane joint angles after offset correction. Results suggest that the inertial sensor system is suitable for estimating major joint angles in healthy older adults as well as the RoM for stroke survivors. New calibration procedures are necessary for applying the technology to a stroke population.

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“…Many existing studies investigating stair ambulation have used non-instrumented staircases or partially instrumented staircases (force plate located in only one of multiple steps) [e.g: [1][2][3][4]. Using such staircases, other methods of event detection are required to calculate important parameters such as stance and swing phases.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stair-specific algorithms for identification of touch-down and foot-off when descending or ascending a non-instrumented staircase

et al. 2014

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Research HighlightsAlgorithms defining touch-down and foot-off (TD/FO) in stair ambulation are presented Performance of these algorithms was determined by comparison to force defined events TD/ FO were determined with acceptable precision in young and old adultsThe algorithms performed equally well at differing riser heights (85-255 mm)These algorithms can be used when force-instrumented staircases are unavailable AbstractThe present study introduces four event detection algorithms for defining touch-down and foot-off during stair descent and stair ascent using segmental kinematics. For stair descent, vertical velocity minima of the whole body centre-of-mass was used to define touch-down, and foot-off was defined as the instant of trail limb peak knee flexion. For stair ascent, vertical velocity local minima of the lead-limb toe was used to define touch-down, and footoff was defined as the local maxima in vertical displacement between the toe and pelvis. The performance of these algorithms was determined as the agreement in timings of kinematically derived events to those defined kinetically (ground reaction forces). Data were recorded while 17 young and 15 older adults completed stair descent and ascent trials over a four-step instrumented staircase. Trials were repeated for three stair riser height conditions (85 mm, 170 mm, and 255 mm). Kinematically derived touch-down and foot-off events showed good agreement (small 95% limits of agreement) with kinetically derived events for both young and older adults, across all riser heights, and for both ascent and descent. In addition, agreement metrics were better than those returned using existing kinematically derived event detection algorithms developed for overground gait. These results indicate that touch-down and foot-off during stair ascent and descent of non-instrumented staircases can be determined with acceptable precision using segmental kinematic data.

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Mechanical energy transfers across lower limb segments during stair ascent and descent in young and healthy older adults

Cited by 22 publications

References 22 publications

Age-related differences in dynamic balance control during stair descent and effect of varying step geometry

Age-related differences in dynamic balance control during stair descent and effect of varying step geometry

Measurement of Lower Limb Joint Kinematics using Inertial Sensors During Stair Ascent and Descent in Healthy Older Adults and Stroke Survivors

Stair-specific algorithms for identification of touch-down and foot-off when descending or ascending a non-instrumented staircase

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