Effects of Aging and Body Weight Support on Gait Variability
Author Information
Author(s): Kyvelidou Anastasia, Kurz Max J, Ehlers Julie L, Stergiou Nicholas
Primary Institution: University of Nebraska at Omaha
Hypothesis
Increased levels of body weight support would decrease both linear and nonlinear measures of angular kinematic variability of the hip, knee, and ankle joints.
Conclusion
Increased levels of body weight support increased lower extremity kinematic variability.
Supporting Evidence
- Elderly individuals showed significantly more variability at the hip and knee joints compared to young females.
- Higher levels of body weight support resulted in increased variability at all joints.
- The elderly had a significantly slower self-selected walking speed than the young.
Takeaway
Older people walk differently than younger people, and using a special harness that supports their weight while walking can make their movements more variable.
Methodology
Twenty young and elderly females walked on a treadmill with a body weight support system under four different conditions while their movements were recorded and analyzed.
Potential Biases
Participants may have been influenced by their familiarity with treadmill walking.
Limitations
The study only included healthy elderly individuals and did not assess the effects of training over time.
Participant Demographics
Ten young females aged 20-35 and ten elderly females aged 70 and older.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.004
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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