Effects of age and locomotor demand on foot mechanics during walking

JOURNAL OF BIOMECHANICS

卷:123

Article

Krupenevich, Rebecca L.¹  Clark, William H.¹  Ray, Samuel F.²  Takahashi, Kota Z.²  Kashefsky, Howard E.³  Franz, Jason R.¹ 

[1] Joint Dept Biomed Engn Univ North Carolina Chapel, Chapel Hill, NC USA

[2] Univ Nebraska, Dept Biomech, Omaha, NE 68182 USA

[3] Univ N Carolina, Dept Surg, Chapel Hill, NC 27515 USA

关键词: Push-off;    Ankle;    Joint work;    Aging;    Biomechanics;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.jbiomech.2021.110499

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Older adults exhibit reductions in push-off power that are often attributed to deficits in plantarflexor force-generating capacity. However, growing evidence suggests that the foot may also contribute to push-off power during walking. Thus, age-related changes in foot structure and function may contribute to altered foot mechanics and ultimately reduced push-off power. The purpose of this paper was to quantify age-related differences in foot mechanical work during walking across a range of speeds and at a single fixed speed with varied demands for push-off power. 9 young and 10 older adults walked at 1.0, 1.2, and 1.4 m/s, and at 1.2 m/s with an aiding or impeding horizontal pulling force equal to 5% BW. We calculated foot work in Visual3D using a unified deformable foot model, accounting for contributions of structures distal to the hindfoot's center-of-mass. Older adults walked while performing less positive foot work and more negative net foot work (p < 0.05). Further, we found that the effect of age on mechanical work performed by the foot and the ankle-foot complex increased with increased locomotor demand (p < 0.05). Our findings suggest that during walking, age-related differences in foot mechanics may contribute to reduced push-off intensity via greater energy loss from distal foot structures, particularly during walking tasks with a greater demand for foot power generation. These findings are the first step in understanding the role of the foot in push-off power deficits in older adults and may serve as a roadmap for developing future low-cost mobility interventions. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

【 授权许可】

Free