The Relationship between Leg Extension Angle at Late Stance and Knee Flexion Angle at Swing Phase during Gait in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Takasuke Miyazaki, Ryoji Kiyama, Yuki Nakai, Masayuki Kawada, Yasufumi Takeshita, Sota Araki, Hiroyuki Hayashi, Naoto Higashi and Hyuma Makizako
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Takasuke Miyazaki: Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 891-0175, Japan
Ryoji Kiyama: Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 891-0175, Japan
Yuki Nakai: Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Daiichi Institute of Technology, Kagoshima 899-4395, Japan
Masayuki Kawada: Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 891-0175, Japan
Yasufumi Takeshita: Department of Rehabilitation, Tarumizu Municipal Medical Center, Tarumizu Central Hospital, Kagoshima 891-2124, Japan
Sota Araki: Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 891-0175, Japan
Hiroyuki Hayashi: Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 891-0175, Japan
Naoto Higashi: Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 891-0175, Japan
Hyuma Makizako: Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 891-0175, Japan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 22, 1-8

Abstract: This study aimed to clarify the relationship between leg extension angle and knee flexion angle during gait in older adults. The subjects of this cross-sectional study were 588 community-dwelling older adults (74.6 ± 6.1 y). Segment angles and acceleration were measured using five inertial measurement units during comfortable gait, and bilateral knee and hip joint angles, and leg extension angle, reflecting whole lower limb extension at late stance, were calculated. Propulsion force was estimated using the increase in velocity calculated from anterior acceleration of the sacrum during late stance. Correlation analysis showed that leg extension angle was associated with knee flexion angle at swing phase and hip extension angle and increase in velocity at late stance (r = 0.444–508, p < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis showed that knee flexion angle at mid-swing was more affected by leg extension angle (? = 0.296, p < 0.001) than by gait speed (? = 0.219, p < 0.001) and maximum hip extension angle (? = ?0.150, p < 0.001). These findings indicate that leg extension angle may be a meaningful parameter for improving gait function in older adults due to the association with knee kinematics during swing as well as propulsion force at late stance.

Keywords: wearable sensor; joint angle; propulsion force; gait analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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