Transition from double-leg to single-leg stance in the assessment of postural stability

Kinematic characteristics of the double-leg stance (DLS) to a single-leg stance (SLS) transition were analyzed in a group of young adolescent girls to assess their postural stability control. Twenty volunteers participated in a single experimental session during which their postural stability was assessed based upon the center of pressure (COP) trajectories during the transitions in two typical sensory conditions: with eyes open (EO) and with eyes closed (EC). To quantify the postural control we applied Fitts' model treating the postural sway as the noise at the initial and the target setpoint control. Results showed that in young healthy subjects characteristics of the transition to either left or right single-leg stance were quite symmetrical. The postural sway at the target posture was characterized by the double increase of postural sway when tested with EO and by the almost quadrupled amount of sway in EC trials. The sway at the target resulted in the decline of the COP mean and peak velocity proportionally to the movement index of difficulty (ID). The estimated ID value increased by 74% in EC trials while the probability of instability increased to 70%. The DLS-SLS test can be recommended for clinical and laboratory assessment of postural stability.