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Association of fear of falling with acceleration-derived gait indices in older adults with knee osteoarthritis

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Abstract

Background

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) and fear of falling (FoF) are important factors contributing to trunk oscillation during walking. It is of a clinical importance to clarify the association of FoF with trunk oscillation during walking in older adults with knee OA (knee OA adults).

Aim

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of FoF with trunk oscillation during walking in knee OA adults.

Methods

Forty-one patients who met the criteria participated in the study and were classified into two groups based on their answer to a question on FoF. An accelerometer was attached at the level of the third lumbar vertebra (L3) and the seventh cervical vertebra (C7), and the accelerations at L3 and C7 were measured during a 10-m gait test. Using these data, the acceleration-derived gait indices, such as stride time variability (STV), root mean square (RMS), and autocorrelation at the trunk in the anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) directions, were computed.

Results

FoF was associated with a higher STV value and a smaller RMS value in the ML direction at L3.

Discussion

The decreased trunk oscillation in the ML direction in knee OA adults with FoF may reflect a positive, compensatory adaptation for trunk control.

Conclusion

Knee OA adults with FoF decreased trunk oscillation during walking than those without FoF.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge all subjects who participated in this study, and this study did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Rehabilitation, Anshin Hospital, 1-4-12, Minatojima Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan

    Tomohiro Oka

  2. Department of Community Health Sciences, Kobe University Graduate School of Health Science, 7-10-2, Tomogaoka, Suma-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo, 654-0142, Japan

    Tomohiro Oka

  3. Department of Medical Rehabilitation, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Kobe Gakuin University, 518 Ikawadanicho, Arise, Nishi-ku, Kobe City, 651-2180, Japan

    Tsuyoshi Asai & Yoshihiro Fukumoto

  4. Faculty of Medical Rehabilitation, Kobe Gakuin University Graduate School, 518 Ikawadanicho, Arise, Nishi-ku, Kobe City, 651-2180, Japan

    Hiroki Kubo

  5. Department of Rehabilitation, Itami Kousei Neurosurgical Hospital, Itami, Japan

    Hiroki Kubo

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  1. Tomohiro Oka
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  2. Tsuyoshi Asai
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  4. Yoshihiro Fukumoto
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Correspondence to Tomohiro Oka.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

All participants provided a written informed consent in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki before participating.

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Oka, T., Asai, T., Kubo, H. et al. Association of fear of falling with acceleration-derived gait indices in older adults with knee osteoarthritis. Aging Clin Exp Res 31, 645–651 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-018-1022-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-018-1022-x

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