Aging Affects Lower Limb Joint Moments and Muscle Responses to a Split-Belt Treadmill Perturbation

Age-related changes cause more fall-related injuries and impede the recoveries by older adults compared to younger adults. This study assessed the lower limb joint moments and muscle responses to split-belt treadmill perturbations in two groups (14 healthy young group [23.36 ± 2.90 years] and 14 healthy older group [70.93 ± 4.36 years]) who performed two trials of unexpected split-belt treadmill perturbations while walking on a programmable split-belt treadmill. A motion capture system quantified the lower limb joint moments, and a wireless electromyography system recorded the lower limb muscle responses. The compensatory limb's (i.e., the tripped limb's contralateral side) joint moments and muscle responses were computed during the pre-perturbation period (the five gait cycles before the onset of a split-belt treadmill perturbation) and the recovery period (from the split-belt treadmill perturbation to the baseline gait relying on the ground reaction forces' profile). Joint moments were assessed by maximum joint moments, and muscle responses were quantified by the normalization (%) and co-contraction index (CCI). Joint moments and muscle responses of the compensatory limb during the recovery period were significantly higher for the YG than the OG, and joint moments (e.g., knee flexion and extension and hip flexion moments) and muscle responses during the recovery period were higher compared to the pre-perturbation period for both groups. For CCI, the older group showed significantly higher co-contraction for biceps femoris/rectus femoris muscles than the young group during the recovery period. For both groups, co-contraction for biceps femoris/rectus femoris muscles was higher during the pre-perturbation period than the recovery period. The study confirmed that older adults compensated for muscle weakness by using lower joint moments and muscle activations and increasing muscle co-contractions to recover balance after split-belt treadmill perturbations. A better understanding of the recovery mechanisms of older adults who train on fall-inducing systems could improve therapeutic regimens.