Ankle power biofeedback attenuates the distal-to-proximal redistribution in older adults.
Michael G Browne, Jason R Franz
PMID 31005854WHAT IT FOUND
Healthy older adults could increase ankle push-off power by 14% with real-time feedback during treadmill walking, and they used less hip power.
When they recalled the change overground, preferred walking speed became faster.
Key findings
01Older adults increased ankle power by 14% and decreased it by 17% when targeting 20% above or below their preferred value.
02Higher ankle power was associated with lower contralateral hip extensor work.
03After targeting increased ankle power, older adults walked faster at their preferred overground speed, but did not increase fastest speed.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only 10 healthy older adults were studied, so the result is a small lab finding. The older adults were healthy and physically active, so this may not apply to patients at risk for mobility impairment. The study used a laboratory treadmill and a simplified real-time ankle power estimate. The analysis used the 20 best consecutive strides for each target, which may overstate performance in ordinary walking. Participants may not have fully adapted to each target. No overground biomechanical data were collected, so the reason for faster preferred speed is inferred.
Declared interests
The authors report no conflict of interest. The paper is listed as supported by NIH extramural and non-U.S. government research funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that ankle power biofeedback improves walking in older adults with mobility problems. The study had only 10 healthy, active older adults, used a lab treadmill, and analyzed the best 20 strides, so it shows a short-term change in gait mechanics, not a treatment effect in patients.