TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2018//
TI  - Comparison of gait patterns in elderly fallers and non-fallers
JO  - Technology and health care
A1  - Kwon, Moon-Seok
A1  - Kwon, Yu-Ri
A1  - Park, Yang-Sun
A1  - Kim, Ji-Won
SP  - 427
EP  - 436
VL  - 26
IS  - S1
N2  - Gait is associated with an important risk factor of falls in the elderly. It is important to find differences of quantitative gait variables between fallers and non-fallers. The aim of this study was to investigate gait patterns in elderly fallers and non-fallers. Thirty-eight fallers and 38 non-fallers of similar age and height participated in this study. Subjects walked across the GaitRite walkway at self-selected comfortable speeds. Spatio-temporal gait variables were measured to characterize gait patterns. Kinetic variables were derived from normalized vertical ground reaction force (GRF). Independent t-tests were performed to compare the fallers with the non-fallers. The fallers walked more slowly with shorter steps and more variable step times than the non-fallers (p< 0.05). The fallers showed a longer stance phase with increased double-limb support than the non-fallers (p< 0.05). The times to reach maximal weight acceptance and mid-stance of the fallers were significantly longer than those of the non-fallers (p< 0.05). These results suggest that spatio-temporal variables and GRF variables would be useful for distinguishing prospective fallers from non-fallers among the elderly.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0928-7329
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/THC-174736
ID  - ref1
ER  -