Local dynamic stability during gait for predicting falls in elderly people: A one-year prospective study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Biomechanics
• Clinical Biomechanics

Background:

• Local dynamic stability (LDS) computed from inertial sensors is a proposed gait measure for identifying fall risk in the elderly.
• Previous studies often relied on retrospective fall history, limiting their predictive power.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prospectively evaluate the potential of LDS for predicting fall risk in individuals over 60 years old.
• To assess the predictive value of trunk LDS and its combination with clinical measures for prospective fall occurrence.

Main Methods:

• 131 elderly subjects (age > 60) underwent baseline gait stability assessment using inertial sensors and the Tinetti Balance Assessment Tool.
• Subjects were monitored for one year to record prospective fall occurrences.

Main Results:

• Trunk LDS alone demonstrated poor predictive ability for multiple falls (AUC = 0.673).
• Combining trunk medial-lateral LDS with the Tinetti total score significantly improved predictive ability (AUC = 0.755).

Conclusions:

• Medial-lateral LDS during gait, when integrated with clinical assessment tools, shows potential as a fall risk assessment measure for the elderly.
• This combined approach offers enhanced predictive accuracy compared to LDS or clinical measures alone.