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Updated: Oct 28, 2025
Evaluating the Function of the Foot Core System in the Elderly
Published on: March 11, 2022
Reduced Achilles Tendon Stiffness Disrupts Calf Muscle Neuromechanics in Elderly Gait
Rebecca L Krupenevich1, Owen N Beck2,3, Gregory S Sawicki2,3
1Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
Abstract:
Older adults walk slower and with a higher metabolic energy expenditure than younger adults. In this review, we explore the hypothesis that age-related declines in Achilles tendon stiffness increase the metabolic cost of walking due to less economical calf muscle contractions and increased proximal joint work. This viewpoint may motivate interventions to restore ankle muscle-tendon stiffness, improve walking mechanics, and reduce metabolic cost in older adults.
