Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Age and stepping limb performance differences during a single-step recovery from a forward fall.

Michael L Madigan1, Emily M Lloyd

  • 1Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA. mlm@vt.edu

The Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences
|June 4, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Older adults show slower joint velocities when recovering from large forward falls, but single-step recovery ability is not limb-dependent. This suggests localized velocity reductions contribute to age-related stepping speed decline.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A preliminary comparison of prosthetic socket liner strain determined using digital image correlation and finite element analysis.

PloS one·2026
Same author

Development of a Fall-Specific Impact Testing Method to Evaluate Safety Helmet Performance and Injury Risk.

Annals of biomedical engineering·2025
Same author

Sternum drop during trip recovery differs between the laboratory and real world - An exploratory pilot study.

PloS one·2025
Same author

Uncalibrated Single-Camera View Video Tracking of Head Impact Speeds Using Model-Based Image Matching.

Annals of biomedical engineering·2025
Same author

Head kinematics of human subjects during laboratory-induced ladder falls to the ground.

Journal of safety research·2025
Same author

Sternum drop as a kinematic measure of trip recovery performance.

Journal of biomechanics·2025

Area of Science:

  • Biomechanics
  • Gerontology
  • Human Movement Science

Background:

  • Age-related changes in balance recovery are critical for fall prevention.
  • Understanding the biomechanics of single-step recovery is essential for assessing fall risk in older adults.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate age-related differences in peak joint velocities during single-step recovery from forward falls.
  • To determine if lower limb (LL) dominance affects the ability to recover balance with a single step.

Main Methods:

  • Ten young and ten older men performed single-step recovery trials from forward falls of increasing lean magnitude.
  • Peak joint velocities of the stepping limb were measured during recovery.
  • Trials were conducted using both dominant and nondominant lower limbs (LLs) to assess limb dependency.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • No age-related differences in peak joint velocities were observed for small lean magnitudes.
  • Older men exhibited significantly slower joint velocities during recovery from maximum lean magnitudes.
  • No difference was found in the maximum lean magnitude from which recovery was possible, regardless of the stepping limb (dominant or nondominant LL).

Conclusions:

  • Age-related reductions in stepping speed appear linked to localized decreases in hip flexion, knee flexion/extension, and ankle plantar flexion velocities.
  • The capacity to recover from a forward fall using a single step is not dependent on whether the dominant or nondominant lower limb (LL) is used.