Gait characteristics of the elderly

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of aging on gait for people 60 years old and above using gait variables commonly applied in sport shoe analysis. Thirty-eight subjects were divided into age groups: 60-69 years and 70-82 years. They walked along a carpeted walkway at a comfortable walking speed wearing a pair of their own walking shoes and a pair of laboratory supplied sports shoes. Kinetic and kinematic data were collected and subsequently analysed. Subjects of the older age group (70-82 years) displayed less movement in the subtalar joint during the support phase of walking with the personal shoes than subjects of the younger age group. Subjects of the older age group walked more slowly and exerted lower anterior-posterior forces with both the personal and laboratory shoes than subjects of the younger age group. Trends suggest (not statistically significant) that foot movement during mid-stance decreases with increasing age. It is speculated that this decrease in foot movement may be due to increased stiffness in the ankle and subtalar joint with age and/or due to a selection process of the older test subjects to prefer shoes with more support. Further research is needed to support or reject these speculations.