Age-Related Strength Loss Affects Non-Stepping Balance Recovery

Details

• Personal Author:
  Bieryla KA ; Koushyar H ; Madigan ML ; Nussbaum MA
• Description:
  Aging is associated with a higher risk of falls, and an impaired ability to recover balance after a postural perturbation is an important contributing factor. In turn, this impaired recovery ability likely stems from age-related decrements in lower limb strength. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of age-related strength loss on non-stepping balance recovery capability after a perturbation while standing, without constraining movements to the ankle as in prior reports. Two experiments were conducted. In the first, five young adults (ages 20-30) and six community-dwelling older adults (ages 70-80) recovered their balance, without stepping, from a backward displacement of a support surface. Balance recovery capability was quantified as the maximal backward platform displacement that a subject could withstand without stepping. The maximal platform displacement was 27% smaller among the older group (11.8+/-2.1 cm) vs. the young group (16.2+/-2.6 cm). In the second experiment, forward dynamic simulations of a two-segment, rigid-body model were used to investigate the effects of manipulating strength in the hip extensors/flexors and ankle plantar flexors/dorsiflexors. In these, typical age-related reductions in strength were included. The model predicted lower maximal platform displacements with age-related reductions only in plantar flexion and hip flexion strength. These findings support the previously reported age-related loss of balance recovery ability, and an important role for plantar flexor strength in this ability. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Accidental Falls Accidents Age Factors Aging Biomechanical Phenomena Men Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Safety Women
• Keywords:
  Age Factors Age Groups Biomechanics Falls Floors Humans Lower Extremities Motion Studies Muscle Function Muscles Physiological Response Posture Walking Surfaces

  More +
• ISSN:
  1932-6203
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Oregon ; OSHA Region 10 ; OSHA Region 3 ; Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  14
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20057356
• Citation:
  PLoS One 2019 Jan; 14(1):e0210049
• Contact Point Address:
  Hoda Koushyar, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
• Email:
  mlm@vt.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• Performing Organization:
  Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20110901
• Source Full Name:
  PLoS One
• End Date:
  20150831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:da58767eeb8b46f76ab40668fccbc63f7cfcf3df631ed48813405dbd1daf446c01f0c7a6564bda0d923755b69cc349adf34b88fe5f7315d3b51aac8b4c692c7d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/214739/cdc_214739_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.98 MB ]