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Related Experiment Videos

Functional reach: does it really measure dynamic balance?

M Wernick-Robinson1, D E Krebs, M M Giorgetti

  • 1Physical Therapy Department, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114, USA.

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
|March 20, 1999
PubMed
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Functional reach (FR) does not effectively measure dynamic balance in elders, as healthy individuals and those with vestibular hypofunction achieved similar distances. Analyzing movement strategies during FR may offer insights into balance control.

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Biomechanics
  • Clinical Assessment

Background:

  • Functional reach (FR) is a clinical measure proposed to assess dynamic balance.
  • Healthy elders and individuals with balance impairments were compared using FR.
  • Movement strategies employed during FR were also investigated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare mean FR distance between healthy elders and individuals with balance impairments.
  • To determine if FR accurately reflects dynamic balance.
  • To describe the movement strategies used during FR.

Main Methods:

  • Thirteen healthy elders and 15 individuals with vestibular hypofunction (VH) performed FR and free gait.
  • Whole-body kinematic and kinetic data were collected using 11 body segments and two force plates.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Center of gravity (CG) and center of pressure (CP) were analyzed.

    • Main Results:

    • No significant difference in FR distance was found between healthy elders and individuals with VH.
    • FR distance correlated with anterior-posterior postural control but not lateral stability.
    • Moment arm during FR was less than during free gait, and correlations weakened when classified by movement strategy.

    Conclusions:

    • FR distance alone does not appear to measure dynamic balance in elders.
    • Similar FR distances in healthy and impaired groups suggest FR is not a sensitive indicator of dynamic balance.
    • Assessing movement strategies during FR may provide valuable information for balance control assessment.