Citation

Ito T, Sakai Y, Nishio R, Ito Y, Yamazaki K, Morita Y. Somatosens. Mot. Res. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Department of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/08990220.2020.1756243

PMID

32320628

Abstract

Purpose: Reduced proprioception affects fall risks in elderly people with lumbar spondylosis. The decrease in proprioception in the trunk or lower legs may contribute to a decline in postural stability. We aimed to investigate the association between proprioceptive postural stability and fall risks in elderly individuals with lumbar spondylosis.Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, the centre-of-pressure displacement was determined in elderly individuals with lumbar spondylosis during upright stance while standing on a Wii Balance Board with their eyes closed (fall-risk group, n = 55; non-fall-risk group, n = 60). Vibratory stimulations at 30 Hz were applied to the lumbar multifidus and gastrocnemius to evaluate the relative contributions of proprioceptive signals used in postural control (relative proprioceptive weighting ratio).Results: Compared with the non-fall-risk group, the fall-risk group displayed a high relative proprioceptive weighting ratio (p = 0.024). Relative proprioceptive weighting ratio (odds ratio, 1.1; 95% confidence interval: 1.004-1.109) was independently associated with fall risks after adjusting for confounding factors. Among variables related to fall risk, the relative proprioceptive weighting ratio was a significant factor (p < 0.035).Conclusion: The fall-risk group of elderly individuals with lumbar spondylosis was dependent on the ankle strategy. The fall risk in elderly people with lumbar spondylosis could be due to over-dependence on the input from muscle spindles in the gastrocnemius.

Language: en

Keywords

Lumbar spondylosis; postural strategy; proprioception