Article

This study investigates the kinematic variability of the head, lumbar spine and
knee during the various walk and turn to sit phases in older and young adults.
Sixteen older adults and eighteen young adults were recruited for this study.
Each subject performed the "Walk and turn to sit down" test. A 16-channel
telemetry system with electrogoniometers and an inclinometer was used to record
the kinematic data. The turning step was divided into braking, mid-stance, swing
and terminal load phases for kinematic analysis. The results showed that the
older adults had a lower displacement angle and velocity of the lumbar spine,
head and knee during different turning phases than the young adults. However,
older adults performed turning with a higher variability in angular velocity of
head flexion than the young adults during the turning step. The onset of lumbar
movement and lateral flexion of the head occurred significantly earlier in older
adults than in the young adults during turning. CONCLUSION: Older adults more
cautiously control their motion by changing their trunk movement amplitude,
velocity and timing in relation to their lower extremity movements during
turning. The larger variability in angular velocity of head flexion may imply
that older adults cannot precisely estimate the required movement for smooth
turning.
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Langue : ANGLAIS