Article

Community-dwelling, chronic stroke survivors are at risk of falling
during turning and are more likely to sustain a hip fracture when they fall.
OBJECTIVE: This study quantifies kinematic differences between stroke survivors
(mean +/- SD: 38.3 +/- 31.3 months post-stroke, 59.9 +/- 10.1 years of age), with
(n = 9) and without a falls history (n = 9), and age-matched healthy counterparts
(n = 18) in turning coordination during the 180 degrees turn around in the Timed
"Up & Go" (TUG) test. METHODS: Full-body kinematics were recorded while
participants performed the 180 degrees turn around in the TUG. Dependent measures
were time to turn, number of steps to turn, and measures of axial segment
coordination. Result. Although participants who had a stroke and falls history
took significantly longer to turn (mean +/- SD: 4.4 +/- 1.7 seconds) than
age-matched controls (2.5 +/- 0.6 seconds), no kinematic differences were found
in performance or in the axial segment coordination during turning that could
contribute to falls history or falls risk. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate
incidences of falls during turning following stroke may not be due to impaired
movement patterns but due to the many other factors that are associated with
falls, such as deficits in cognitive processes--attention or central
integration--and/or sensory deficits.

Langue : ANGLAIS