Article

Studying the relationships between centre of mass (COM) and centre of pressure
(COP) during walking has been shown to be useful in determining movement
stability. The aim of the current study was to compare COM-COP separation
measures during walking between groups of older adults with no history of
falling, and a history of falling due to tripping or slipping. Any differences
between individuals who have fallen due to a slip and those who have fallen due
to a trip in measures of dynamic balance could potentially indicate differences
in the mechanisms responsible for falls. Forty older adults were allocated into
groups based on their self-reported fall history during walking. The non-faller
group had not experienced a fall in at least the previous year. Participants who
had experienced a fall were split into two groups based on whether a trip or slip
resulted in the fall(s). A Vicon system was used to collect full body kinematic
trajectories. Two force platforms were used to measure ground reaction forces.
The COM was significantly further ahead of the COP at heel strike for the trip
(14.3 +/- 2.7 cm) and slip (15.3 +/- 1.1 cm) groups compared to the non-fallers
(12.0 +/- 2.7 cm). COM was significantly further behind the COP at foot flat for
the slip group (-14.9 +/- 3.6 cm) compared to the non-fallers (-10.3 +/- 3.9 cm).
At mid-swing, the COM of the trip group was ahead of the COP (0.9 +/- 1.6 cm),
whereas for the slip group the COM was behind the COP (-1.2 +/- 2.2 cm). These
results show identifiable differences in dynamic balance control of walking
between older adults with a history of tripping or slipping and non-fallers.
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Langue : ANGLAIS