Balance, gait, functionality and strength: comparison between elderly fallers and non-fallers.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Biomechanics
• Kinesiology

Background:

• Accidental falls are a significant health concern for the aging population, affecting one in three individuals over sixty.
• Falls in the elderly are associated with aging and pose a major health problem.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare muscle strength, gait kinematics, and functional test performance in elderly individuals with and without a history of falls.
• To investigate the association between a history of falls and identified differences in physical and functional parameters.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 62 elderly participants, divided into a fall history group (FG, n=20) and a control group (CG, n=42).
• Assessment of maximal muscle strength, gait kinematics, and performance in functional tests.

Main Results:

• The fall history group demonstrated significantly lower knee flexor muscle strength (51.45 ± 8.6 vs. 62.09 ± 19 Kg).
• Reduced average toe clearance during the swing phase (0.04 ± 0.006 vs. 0.043 ± 0.005 m) was observed in the fall history group.
• Poorer performance in the "8-foot up-and-go" test (5.3 ± 0.7 vs. 5.8 ± 0.7 s) was noted in fallers, with increased time potentially doubling fall likelihood.

Conclusions:

• Individuals with a history of falls exhibit diminished lower limb strength.
• Gait alterations and poorer dynamic balance test performance are characteristic of elderly fallers.
• Reduced strength and balance issues contribute to an increased risk of falls in the elderly population.