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Computerized Dynamic Posturography for Postural Control Assessment in Patients with Intermittent Claudication
Published on: December 11, 2013
Postural control parameters in elderly female fallers and non-fallers diagnosed or not with knee osteoarthritis
Marina Petrella1, Thamires Máximo Neves, Júlia Guimarães Reis
1Curso de Fisioterapia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Objectives:
To compare stabilometric parameters of elderly female fallers and non-fallers associated or not with knee osteoarthritis (OA).
Methods:
Fifty-six elderly female fallers and non-fallers diagnosed or not with unilateral or bilateral knee OA were divided into the following groups: FOA (n = 10), elderly female fallers with knee OA; FNOA (n = 11), elderly female fallers without knee OA; NFOA (n = 14), elderly female non-fallers with knee OA; and NFNOA (n = 21), elderly female non-fallers without knee OA. For analyzing semi-static balance on a force platform with the elderly females standing, the following parameters were assessed in four conditions: center of pressure (COP), anterior-posterior and mediolateral displacements (APD and MLD, respectively); and COP anterior-posterior and mediolateral displacement velocities (APV and MLV, respectively). The following conditions were assessed: 1) standing on a firm wooden surface with eyes open (WSEO); 2) standing on a firm wooden surface with eyes closed (WSEC); 3) standing on a foam surface with eyes open (FSEO); 4) standing on a foam surface with eyes closed (FSEC).
Results:
The elderly females with knee OA showed greater APD in all four conditions assessed (P < 0.05), while the elderly female fallers showed greater MLD (P < 0.05). No difference between the groups was observed for APV and MLV (P > 0.05).
Conclusions:
Knee OA per se increases APD of the COP, while the history of falls, regardless of the presence of knee OA, hinders postural control in the ML direction.
