Comparison of foot kinetics and kinematics during gait initiation between young and elderly participants.
Yoshinao Satoh, Takumi Yamada, Ryota Shimamura and 1 others
PMID 31417209WHAT IT FOUND
Elderly participants walked slower with shorter strides and showed significantly lower foot joint movement, moment, and power during gait initiation compared to young participants.
The reduction in mechanical output was most pronounced in the toe and midfoot joints.
Key findings
01Elderly participants had significantly lower walking speed and stride length compared to young participants.
02Elderly participants exhibited significantly lower plantar flexion moments in the ankle, metatarsal-hind foot, and toe-metatarsal joints.
03Elderly participants had significantly lower positive power in the ankle and metatarsal-hind foot joints, and lower negative power in the toe-metatarsal joint.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study only analyzed gait initiation, so it did not capture foot function during the first half of the stance phase of normal walking. The sample size was small (12 per group), limiting the generalizability of the findings. Participants were healthy and able to walk without aids, so results may not apply to older adults with existing mobility impairments or disabilities. The study did not examine the relationship between foot mechanics and other lower limb joints like the knee or hip.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest directly relevant to the content of this article.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these findings apply to patients with existing foot pathology or neurological conditions, as all participants were healthy and able to walk without aids.