Article

Objective: To test the hypothesis that reduced hip extension and increased anterior pelvic tilt in the elderly are dynamic gait phenomena that do not occur during normal standing posture. Design: Experimental. Setting: Gait laboratory. Participants: Twenty-five older adult subjects (mean age standard deviation, 71 +/- 5y) and 25 young adult subjects (mean age, 26 +/- 5y). Intervention: Subjects were observed during standing and walking at self-determined comfortable, slow, and fast walking speeds. Positions and kinematics of the pelvis and lower extremities were measured using a 3-dimensional video-based motion analysis system. Main Outcome Measures: Peak hip extension and anterior pelvic tilt. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the older and young adult groups during standing with respect to either hip extension (3 +/- 5 degrees vs 1 degrees +/- 6 degrees) or anterior pelvic tilt (11 degrees +/- 5 degrees vs 10 degrees +/- 5 degrees). On the other hand, at comfortable walking speeds, the older adult group had reduced peak hip extension (7 degrees +/- 6 degrees vs 11 degrees +/-.5 degrees) and increased anterior pelvic tilt (15 degrees +/- 5 degrees vs 11 degrees +/- 5 degrees) compared with the young adult group. At fast walking speeds, peak hip extension was significantly reduced in the older adult group than in the young adult group (9 degrees +/- 6 degrees vs 14 degrees +/- 6 degrees, P <.05), but there was no significant difference at slow walking speeds (6 degrees +/- 6 degrees vs 91-51). Conclusions: Age-related changes in gait defined by reduced peak hip extension and increased pelvic tilt are dynamic rather than standing postural characteristics.

Langue : ANGLAIS