Article

During gait the body is in a continuous state of imbalance, with each subsequent
step preventing a fall. Gait balance is maintained by regulating the interactions
between the center of mass (CoM) and base of support (BoS). The purpose of this
study was to investigate the interaction of the CoM position and velocity (CoMv)
in relation to the dynamically changing BoS throughout gait.
This was quantified
using: (1) The shortest distance from the CoM to the boundary of the BoS; (2) The
distance from the CoM to the centroid of the BoS; and (3) The distance from the
CoM to the BoS along the direction of the CoMv. These interactions were
investigated in healthy young adults, healthy older adults, and elderly fallers,
who performed level walking at a self-selected speed. Elderly fallers
demonstrated a conservative CoM-BoS separation at toe off and reduced balance
control ability, specifically a decreased time to contact, when compared to
healthy young adults at heel strike. Decreased time available in responding to
perturbations might result in a greater number of falls. Understanding foot
position and CoM trajectories might allow for appropriate rehabilitation
practices.
CI - Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS