Optimal Gait Feature Identification to Distinguish Fallers and Non-Fallers

<p>【Purpose】This study focuses on clearance related to tripping to identify the gait features of fallers corresponding to the minimum and maximum clearances during the swing phase, as well as the difference in the foot clearance measurement positions.</p><p>【Methods】 We included 26 non-fallers（13 females with an average age of 69.4 ± 3.2 years）and 23 fallers（12 females with an average age of 67.7 ± 2.6 years）in community-dwelling older adults. The subjects performed a walking task at a normal speed. The maximum and minimum clearances during the swing phase were recorded using a motion capture system and the ground reaction force. The study used 11 reflective markers, placed along a straight line, from the heel to the head of the third metatarsal bone, as the foot clearance measurement positions. The effect sizes were calculated using Cohen’s d.</p><p>【Results】For all conditions of the foot clearance measurement positions, the maximum clearance in fallers during the swing phase was significantly smaller than those in non-fallers. However, under most conditions, the minimum clearance in fallers during the swing phase was significantly smaller than those in non-fallers. The effect sizes of the maximum clearances（0.68 –0.84 [medium–large]）were greater than those of the minimum clearances （0.53 –0.54 [medium]）. Further, the effect size of the maximum clearance in the toe position（0.84 [large]）was greater than that in the heel position（0.68 [medium]）.</p><p>【Conclusions】 We identified the gait features of fallers to obtain clearance related to tripping. The results showed that one must focus on the“maximum”clearance of the “toe position”during the swing phase to identify older adults with higher fall risk.</p>