Foot-ground clearance characteristics in women: A comparison across different ages.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Tripping is a common event leading to falls amongst elderly. Minimum foot clearance (MFC) is a critical swing phase control factor associated with tripping and falls. RESEARCH QUESTION Are there differences in MFC characteristics among three age groups of women and are there association between MFC and lower limb kinematics? METHODS: Cross-sectional observational study. Three-dimensional gait analysis of 55 healthy women. ANOVA was used to compare (p<0.05) MFC characteristics among young, middle-aged and elderly groups. Multiple Linear Regression Analysis was used to test prediction over MFC. RESULTS: Elderly women walked slower, with lower MFC and lower maximum foot velocity during swing (MFV) than young and middle-aged women. There were more hip flexion and less ankle dorsiflexion during MFC among elderly. There is a strong positive relationship between dorsiflexion and MFC. And ankle dorsiflexion was the most predictive variable over MFC. SIGNIFICANCE: Elderly women walk slower with lower MFC value and less ankle dorsiflexion than gender-matched young controls. Increased hip flexion may represent a gait adaptation to avoid tripping. Gait speed had no effect on those findings.