Article

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of acute fatigue of the hip abductors on the
control of balance in young and older women. DESIGN:
Pretest-posttest. SETTING:
University research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Healthy young women (n=20; age,
23.0+/-1.5y; height, 166.52+/-4.5 cm; mass, 65.33+/-10.5 kg) and
community-dwelling older women (n=20; age, 71.65+/-7.2y; height, 162.31+/-3.8 cm;
mass, 71.16+/-11.6 kg) without a fall history. INTERVENTION: Measurements of
control of single-limb balance before and after fatiguing the hip abductors of
the dominant leg. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Performance on 3 clinical assessments of
control of balance: the modified Functional Reach Test in the forward, left, and
right directions; the Lower-Extremity Reach Test in forward and lateral
directions; and the Single-Limb Stance Time Test (SLSTT). RESULTS: Although the
younger subjects showed a significantly greater control of balance than the older
women in most tests, control of balance after acute fatigue failed to show a
significant decline in either age group. The only exception to this was the SLSTT
in the younger women in whom a significant 26% decline was noted (P<.05).
CONCLUSIONS: Acute fatigue of the hip abductors did not result in a decreased
control of balance in healthy young or older women without fall history. Despite
considerable changes in movement strategies used to complete the postfatigue
tests of balance, quantitative measures of balance did not decrease.

Langue : ANGLAIS