Article

The objective of the current study was to investigate the effects of aging on 3D
lower extremity joint moments during successful reactive-recovery from unexpected
slips. Unexpected slips were induced by having participants walk over a slippery
floor surface. Successful reactive-recovery trials from nine young and nine
elderly participants were identified and analyzed. Three-dimensional inverse
dynamics were implemented to calculate reactive joint moments at the ankle, knee,
and hip joints. Peak joint moment magnitude and the speed of peak joint moment
generation were used to describe the balance recovery strategies from unexpected
slips. Results indicated significantly higher peak joint moments in recovery than
in normal walking for both the young and elderly. Meanwhile, during
reactive-recovery, the elderly were found to utilize both frontal and sagittal
joint moments while the younger adults relied primarily on sagittal joint moment.
It was concluded that the ankle and knee joints were critical in controlling
sagittal plane motion disturbance, while the hip joint was mainly responsible for
stabilizing upper body balance in the frontal plane. This study confirmed
age-related differences in joint moment generation during unexpected slips.
Additionally, implementing 3D analysis is recommended in future slips and falls
research.

Langue : ANGLAIS