Effects of hip and ankle stretching on gait function of older people

NewsBot · Aug 7, 2008

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The effects of hip and ankle stretching on gait function of older people.
Christiansen CL.
Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2008 Aug;89(8):1421-8.

OBJECTIVE: To examine effects of hip and ankle stretching on gait function of older people.

DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Flexibility training was performed in participants' homes. Assessments were performed in a biomechanics laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Forty healthy volunteers (mean age +/- SD, 72.1+/-4.7 y) randomized to 2 groups: intervention (n=20) and control (n=20). INTERVENTION: Intervention participants performed an 8-week stretching program, and control group participants maintained activity level for 8 weeks. One investigator made weekly visits to instruct and monitor participants.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcome measures were passive joint motion for hip extension and ankle dorsiflexion and freely chosen gait speed. Secondary outcome measures were gait parameters during freely chosen gait speed and set gait speed walking (stride length, joint displacement).

RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the intervention group had increased combined hip and knee motion (P=.023), ankle motion (P=.020), and freely chosen gait speed (P=.016). The intervention group showed statistically nonsignificant trends of increased stride length at freely chosen gait speed and set gait speed.

CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest joint motion is a modifiable impairment that is effectively targeted with flexibility training for older people. Participants in the intervention group had improvements in joint motion as well as increased freely chosen gait speed. Mechanisms responsible for changes in freely chosen gait speed warrant further investigation.
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Admin2 · Aug 11, 2008

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NewsBot · Jan 29, 2013

Age-associated gait patterns and the role of lower extremity strength - results from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.
Ko SU, Stenholm S, Metter EJ, Ferrucci L.
Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2012 Sep-Oct;55(2):474-9.

The aim of the present study was to examine differences in gait characteristics across the adult lifespan and to test the hypothesis that such differences are attributable at least in part to the decline in muscle strength. The data presented here are from 190 participants of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) aged from 32 to 93 years. Based on two age thresholds that best capture the effect of age on walking speed, participants were divided into three age groups: middle-age (32-57 years; N=27), old-age (58-78 years; N=125), and oldest-age (79-93 years; N=38). Participants were asked to walk at their preferred and maximum speeds while recorded with 3D gait analysis system. In addition, maximum isokinetic knee extensor strength was assessed. While walking at preferred speed, range of motion (ROM) and mechanical work expenditure (MWE) of the ankle were lower within middle-age (p<0.001, p=0.047, respectively), while hip ROM and MWE were lower (p=0.006) and higher (p<0.001), respectively within oldest-age with older age. Deterioration in ankle function during customary walking initiates already at middle-age. Differences in the maximum walking speed and ankle ROM between middle-age and old-age were explained by knee strength.
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