Comparison of the Characteristics of Plantar Kinetics in Older and Young Male Adults during Walking / 医用生物力学

ABSTRACT

Objective To compare the differences in plantar kinetics between older male adults and young male adults during walking, and to explore the influences of aging on plantar kinetics. Methods The in-shoe plantar sensory measurement system was used to collect and compare left foot parameters of 13 older men and 14 young men during tandem walk, including contact time, beginning of contact in percentage of roll over process (%ROP), and end of contact in %ROP, peak pressure, instant of peak pressure in %ROP, maximum mean pressure, pressure-time integral, maximum force, instant of maximum force in %ROP, mean force and force-time integral. Results Beside media arch, the contact time on all regions of older men was longer, whereas, the beginning of contact in %ROP on lateral heel, lateral arch was greater, and the end of contact in %ROP on medial heel and 2nd-3rd metatarsal head was smaller compared with young men. The maximum force and mean force on the whole foot region, and the maximum mean pressure and maximum force on 2nd-3rd metatarsal head of older people were significantly lower; the pressure-time integral on the whole foot region, the 4th-5th metatarsal head, the 2nd -5th toes, and the force-time integral on the whole foot region, medial heel, lateral heel and 2nd -5th toes were significantly higher compared with young men. Conclusions During tandem walking, plantar fascia dysfunction might be one of the main reasons for the decline of postural control ability, and the contraction enhancement of flexor digitorum longus and flexor digitorum brevis could compensate for postural stability improvement in older men.