Age-Related Changes in Smoothness of Gait of Healthy Children and Early Adolescents

Knee sleeves improve gait symmetry during fast walking in older adults

Knee sleeves are commonly used to address knee-related concerns, particularly in older individuals. Although previous studies have demonstrated their efficacy in improving gait and functional outcomes in knees with pathological conditions, the effectiveness of knee sleeves for improving gait characteristics in healthy older adults remains unclear. The harmonic ratio (HR), an index for assessing gait symmetry commonly used to discriminate between individuals with different functional levels, can be used to detect alterations in gait characteristics. This study investigated the effects of knee sleeves on gait symmetry in healthy older adults. Sixteen healthy community-dwelling older adults walked barefoot with and without knee sleeves at normal and fast speeds. Gait symmetry indices (HR and improved HR [iHR]) and spatiotemporal gait parameters were compared under different conditions. A significant interaction between knee condition and walking speed was observed for mean iHR in the anteroposterior direction (p = 0.006). A significant simple main effect of knee condition was found during fast walking, with a larger iHR with knee sleeves than without (p = 0.002). In the condition without knee sleeves, the iHR was significantly lower during fast walking than during normal walking (p = 0.035). Furthermore, a significant main effect of knee condition was observed for the variability of iHR in the anteroposterior direction, with a smaller variability when walking with knee sleeves than when walking without (p = 0.006). These results suggest that knee sleeves may enhance gait symmetry along the anteroposterior direction, particularly during fast walking, where symmetry disruption is more likely than walking at a comfortable pace. A significant reduction in gait symmetry variability also suggests a stabilizing effect on gait dynamics. These findings provide the first evidence supporting the efficacy of knee sleeves for improving gait symmetry. The use of knee sleeves could be a valuable option for restoring disrupted gait symmetry during fast walking, with potential implications for reducing the risk of falls.

The Effects of Age and Height on Gait Smoothness in Adolescent Athletes

(1) Background: Despite evidence of increased rates of sports injury during the years surrounding peak growth in adolescents, little is known regarding the relationship between adolescent growth and gait stability. The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of how chronological age and height relate to gait stability in both male and female adolescents. (2) Methods: Participants (N = 67; females: n = 34, ages 8.7-15.9 years; males: n = 33, ages 10.0-16.7 years) completed two trials of treadmill walking at varying speeds: the preferred walking speed and 30% above and below. Trials were separated by a bout of fatiguing exercises. HarmonicRatios of the trunk, calculated from acceleration signals taken during walking, were used to quantify gait stability. Data were separated by sex and relationships between height and chronological age, and HarmonicRatios were assessed using multiple linear regression. (3) Results: Females' HarmonicRatios improved with chronological age both before and after fatigue. Males' HarmonicRatios increased with chronological age before fatigue; however, this effect was eliminated post-fatigue. Females' height was negatively associated with HarmonicRatios post-fatigue. Males' height was positively associated with HarmonicRatios pre-fatigue. (4) Conclusions: The study findings suggest sex differences in the effects of fatigue on gait stability during adolescence. In both sexes, HarmonicRatios increased with chronological age. These improvements were eliminated for males and altered for females with fatigue. The results of this study indicate the need for the reevaluation of sports progression based on chronological age in adolescents.

Adolescents running in conventional running shoes have lower vertical instantaneous loading rates but greater asymmetry than running barefoot or in partial-minimal shoes

Footwear may moderate the transiently heightened asymmetry in lower limb loading associated with peak growth in adolescence during running. This repeated-measures study compared the magnitude and symmetry of peak vertical ground reaction force and instantaneous loading rates (VILRs) in adolescents during barefoot and shod running. Ten adolescents (age, 10.6 ± 1.7 years) ran at self-selected speed (1.7 ± 0.3 m/s) on an instrumented treadmill under three counter-balanced conditions; barefoot and shod with partial-minimal and conventional running shoes. All participants were within one year of their estimated peak height velocity based on sex-specific regression equations. Foot-strike patterns, peak vertical ground reaction force and VILRs were recorded during 20 seconds of steady-state running. Symmetry of ground reaction forces was assessed using the symmetry index. Repeated-measures ANOVAs were used to compare conditions (α=.05). Adolescents used a rearfoot foot-strike pattern during barefoot and shod running. Use of conventional shoes resulted in a lower VILR (P < .05, dz = 0.9), but higher VILR asymmetry (P < .05) than running barefoot (dz = 1.5) or in partial-minimal shoes (dz = 1.6). Conventional running shoes result in a lower VILR than running unshod or in partial-minimal shoes but may have the unintended consequence of increasing VILR asymmetry. The findings may have implications for performance, musculoskeletal development and injury in adolescents.

Identifying the Effects of Age and Speed on Whole-Body Gait Symmetry by Using a Single Wearable Sensor

Studies on gait symmetry in healthy population have mainly been focused on small range of age categories, neglecting Teenagers (13–18 years old) and Middle-Aged persons (51–60 years old). Moreover, age-related effects on gait symmetry were found only when the symmetry evaluation was based on whole-body acceleration than on spatiotemporal parameters of the gait cycle. Here, we provide a more comprehensive analysis of this issue, using a Symmetry Index (SI) based on whole-body acceleration recorded on individuals aged 6 to 84 years old. Participants wore a single inertial sensor placed on the lower back and walked for 10 m at comfortable, slow and fast speeds. The SI was computed using the coefficient of correlation of whole-body acceleration measured at right and left gait cycles. Young Adults (19–35 years old) and Adults (36–50 years old) showed stable SI over the three speed conditions, while Children (6–12 years old), Teenagers (13–18 years old), Middle-Aged persons and Elderly (61–70 and 71–84 years old) exhibited lower SI values when walking at fast speed. Overall, this study confirms that whole-body gait symmetry is lower in Children and in Elderly persons over 60 years of age, showing, for the first time, that asymmetries appear also during teenage period and in Middle-Aged persons (51–60 years old).

Functional Electrical Stimulation for Foot Drop in Post-Stroke People: Quantitative Effects on Step-to-Step Symmetry of Gait Using a Wearable Inertial Sensor

The main purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of foot drop stimulators (FDS) in individuals with stroke by means of spatio-temporal and step-to-step symmetry, harmonic ratio (HR), parameters obtained from trunk accelerations acquired using a wearable inertial sensor. Thirty-two patients (age: 56.84 ± 9.10 years; 68.8% male) underwent an instrumental gait analysis, performed using a wearable inertial sensor before and a day after the 10-session treatment (PRE and POST sessions). The treatment consisted of 10 sessions of 20 min of walking on a treadmill while using the FDS device. The spatio-temporal parameters and the HR in the anteroposterior (AP), vertical (V), and mediolateral (ML) directions were computed from trunk acceleration data. The results showed that time had a significant effect on the spatio-temporal parameters; in particular, a significant increase in gait speed was detected. Regarding the HRs, the HR in the ML direction was found to have significantly increased (+20%), while those in the AP and V directions decreased (approximately 13%). Even if further studies are necessary, from these results, the HR seems to provide additional information on gait patterns with respect to the traditional spatio-temporal parameters, advancing the assessment of the effects of FDS devices in stroke patients.