Availability of Plantar Sensory Threshold for Fall Risk Determination

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  • 転倒リスク因子としての足底触覚閾値の有用性

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Abstract

<p>Purpose: Decline of somatosensory function is associated with falls in the elderly. This study investigated the relationship between loss of plantar sensory threshold and fall risk in the elderly.</p><p>Methods: The sensory thresholds of plantar foot were measured in 110 people using day service facilities for the elderly with long-term care needs (33 men and 77 women; mean age, 80.7 years), using a new sensory testing device with high reproducibility. In addition, physical and cognitive functions including lower extremity strength and gait speed were measured. Fall history during the past 12 months was determined retrospectively, and each measurement variable was compared between the faller and non-faller groups. The relationship between plantar sensory threshold and fall history was examined by calculating the odds ratios of important variables determined by logistic regression analysis with the presence of a fall event as the objective variable.</p><p>Results: There were significant differences in the plantar sensory threshold, ankle dorsiflexion angle, and ratio of men to women between the fallers and non-fallers. The odds ratio adjusted by sex was significant in the plantar sensory threshold and the ankle dorsiflexion angle.</p><p>Conclusions: The plantar sensory threshold will be valuable information to explain falls in the elderly requiring long-term care. The results of this study suggested that assessment including the plantar sensory threshold in addition to conventional indices would be more effective for determining the risk of falls in elderly people who require long-term care.</p>

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