Objective measures of gait and balance in healthy non-falling adults as a function of age.
Tuhin Virmani, Harsh Gupta, Jesal Shah and 1 others
PMID 30558914WHAT IT FOUND
Older healthy non-falling adults showed more variable foot pressure and stride length while walking, age differences in stride length while texting, and wider steps during heel-to-toe walking.
Key findings
01When the researchers combined steady-walking measures, variability in foot pressure and stride length were the age-related measures that stayed in the model.
02When the researchers combined dual-task measures, mean stride length while texting was the only age-related measure that stayed in the model.
03When the researchers combined tandem-walking measures, mean step width and foot-pressure variability were the age-related measures that stayed in the model.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study enrolled only healthy adults without prior falls and excluded chronic pain or prior back or lower-limb orthopedic procedures, so it does not describe people with common gait problems. It did not follow participants over time or test falls, so it cannot show that age-related gait changes predict future falls. It did not include a complete neurologic exam for neuropathy, vision, or vestibular function, so some age-related differences could reflect undiagnosed conditions. The sample was described as primarily Caucasian, so results may not extend to other ethnic or cultural groups. Older subjects had more hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes, which may contribute to age differences.
Declared interests
The supplied text does not include a conflict-of-interest statement. The publication types list NIH extramural research support and non-U.S. government research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these age-related gait changes as fall risk or disease. The study enrolled healthy non-falling adults and did not follow them over time, so it cannot show that any measure predicts falls or neurologic decline.