Rate of Force Development During Sit-to-Stand Movement Is Associated With Locomotive Syndrome Severity: A...

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering
• Musculoskeletal Health

Background:

• Locomotive syndrome (LS) is characterized by reduced mobility due to locomotor dysfunction.
• Sit-to-stand (STS) movement analysis provides quantitative mobility insights.
• The relationship between STS biomechanical parameters and LS severity requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between sit-to-stand (STS) biomechanical parameters and locomotive syndrome (LS) severity.
• To determine if specific STS metrics can predict or correlate with different stages of LS.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study analyzed 1047 adults screened for musculoskeletal health.
• LS stage was determined using the stand-up test, two-step test, and Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale.
• STS performance was quantified using a force analyzer, yielding maximum ground reaction force (F/w), rate of force development (RFD/w), and stabilization time (ST).

Main Results:

• A significant proportion of participants were classified with LS (LS1: 46.0%, LS2: 5.8%, LS3: 1.1%).
• Lower F/w and RFD/w, and longer ST were observed in participants with LS compared to non-LS individuals.
• Ordinal logistic regression revealed that only RFD/w remained significantly associated with LS stage after adjustment (OR: 0.84, p=0.002).

Conclusions:

• Lower rate of force development (RFD/w) is independently associated with increased locomotive syndrome severity.
• RFD/w shows potential as a complementary quantitative measure for assessing LS risk and progression.
• This finding highlights the utility of biomechanical analysis in understanding and potentially managing locomotive dysfunction.