Investigating balance-related gait patterns and their relationship with maximum torques generated by the hamstrings and quadriceps in older adults - Results from the Baltimore longitudinal study of aging

Seung-Uk Ko; Gerald J Jerome; Eleanor M Simonsick; Luigi Ferrucci

doi:10.1016/j.archger.2024.105411

Investigating balance-related gait patterns and their relationship with maximum torques generated by the hamstrings and quadriceps in older adults - Results from the Baltimore longitudinal study of aging

Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2024 Mar 12:123:105411. doi: 10.1016/j.archger.2024.105411. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Seung-Uk Ko¹, Gerald J Jerome², Eleanor M Simonsick³, Luigi Ferrucci³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Mechanical Design Engineering, Chonnam National University, Yeosu, South Korea. Electronic address: seunguk.ko@gmail.com.
² Department of Kinesiology, Towson University, Towson, MD, USA.
³ Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging (NIA/NIH), Baltimore, MD, USA.

PMID: 38493525
DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2024.105411

Abstract

Background: Balance-related gait patterns in older adults can be objectively discerned through the examination of gait parameters, maximum leg torques, and their interconnections.

Objective: To investigate the correlation between leg muscle strength and balance during gait concerning functional performance in healthy older adults.

Methods: Participants included 117 adults aged 60-95 years were recruited from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA). They underwent evaluations of gait, balance, and maximum isometric leg torque (for both hamstrings and quadriceps). Analyses examined the association between leg torque and functional performance among those with higher and lower balances.

Results: Individuals with lower balance (n = 43) were older, more prone to experiencing a fear of falling, and exhibited lower functional performance (gait speeds and Generalized Gait Stability Scores (GGSS), ps < 0.001) compared to their counterparts with higher balance (n = 74). At a usual walking pace, the GGSS showed a positive association with concentric Quadriceps Maximum Torque (QMT) in participants with lower balance (p = 0.013). Conversely, it displayed a positive association with eccentric QMT in those with higher balance (p = 0.014). At a fast walking pace, only individuals with higher balance demonstrated a positive muscle torque association with both gait speed and GGSS, encompassing concentric and eccentric actions in both the quadriceps and hamstrings (ps < 0.050).

Conclusion: Evaluating muscle strength capacity in both concentric and eccentric phases during dynamic high-effort events, along with investigating their associations with gait performance, can be beneficial for identifying subtle gait deficits. This comprehensive approach may assist in the early detection of gait deterioration among healthy older adults, given the intricate muscle activations involved in lower body functional performance.

Keywords: Efficiency in gait; Generalized gait stability score (GGSS); Hamstrings maximum torque (HMT); Lower balance; Quadriceps maximum torque (QMT).