Open AccessWhich Are the Key Kinematic and Kinetic Components to Distinguish Recovery Strategies for Overground Slips Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults?
Author(s) -
Shuaijie Wang,
Yiru Wang,
YiChung Pai,
Edward Wang,
Tanvi Bhatt
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of applied biomechanics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1543-2688
pISSN - 1065-8483
DOI - 10.1123/jab.2019-0285
Subject(s) - slip (aerodynamics) , slipping , sagittal plane , kinematics , ground reaction force , physical medicine and rehabilitation , orthodontics , medicine , geology , mathematics , geometry , physics , anatomy , classical mechanics , thermodynamics
Slip outcomes are categorized as either a backward loss of balance (LOB) or a no loss of balance (no-LOB) in which an individual does not take a backward step to regain their stability. LOB includes falls and nonfalls, while no-LOB includes skate overs and walkovers. Researchers are uncertain about which factors determine slip outcomes and at which critical instants they do so. The purpose of the study was to investigate factors affecting slip outcomes in proactive and early reactive phases by analyzing 136 slip trials from 68 participants (age: 72.2 [5.3] y, female: 22). Segment angles and average joint moments in the sagittal plane of the slipping limb were compared for different slip outcomes. The results showed that knee flexor, hip extensor, and plantar flexor moments were significantly larger for no-LOB than for LOB in the midproactive phase, leading to smaller shank-ground and foot-ground angles at the slip onset, based on forward dynamics. In the early reactive phase, the hip extensor and plantar flexor moments were larger for no-LOB than for LOB, and all segment angles were smaller for no-LOB. Our findings indicate that the shank angle and knee moment were the major determinants of slip outcomes in both proactive and reactive phases.