Effect of age on ankle biomechanics and tibial compression during stair descent.
Elijah M Walker, Nicholas L Hunt, Amy E Holcomb and 2 others
PMID 38781789WHAT IT FOUND
Older adults showed lower peak tibial compression than young adults during stair descent, but similar total load over time.
Ankle stiffness did not predict compression. The older group’s reduced ankle strength likely limits their ability to absorb impact forces, potentially increasing fracture risk despite lower peak loads.
Key findings
01Older adults exhibited smaller maximum tibial compression but a non-significant increase in tibial compression impulse compared to young adults.
02Ankle joint stiffness showed a negligible relation to both maximum tibial compression and tibial compression impulse.
03Older adults demonstrated significantly smaller ankle joint angle and moment during specific phases of the stance compared to young adults.
STILL TO COME
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What it does not show
Small sample size (26 participants). Tibial compression calculation did not account for internal tibia bending moment, which may underestimate actual bone stress. Young adults walked slower than typical self-selected speeds, which may have obscured true biomechanical differences. Task was limited to descending two stairs, which may not reflect real-world stair use.
Declared interests
None declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume lower peak tibial compression means lower fracture risk for older adults. The study found similar total load over time (impulse) despite lower peaks, and older adults' reduced ankle strength may compromise their ability to attenuate forces, potentially increasing microdamage accumulation.