Comparing self-selected speed walking of the elderly with self-selected slow, moderate, and fast speed walking of young adults.

OBJECTIVE: To find the characteristics of elderly gait, we compared the elderly walking at a moderate speed with the young adult walking at a slow, moderate, and fast speed.
METHODS: 3D gait analysis was performed on 15 elderly and 15 young adults. Temporo-spatial, kinematic, and kinetic parameters were obtained. Self-selected moderate speed of the elderly walking was compared with self-selected varying speed of the young adults walking.
RESULTS: The elderly walked at slower speeds and had shorter step length, but showed similar cadences compared to the young adults. These results remained identical even after the normalization with height. The kinematic and the kinetic graph patterns did not show specific differences between the elderly and the young subjects. Ankle plantarflexion (APF) motion was prominently decreased in the elderly subjects. Hip flexion (HF) motion remained within similar range for the young adults'. HF moment and power were similar with the young adults', but APF power and hip extension power were decreased in the elderly subjects'.
CONCLUSION: A decreased APF motion and power were thought to be specific findings in the elderly walking. The preservation of HF motion and power could be considered a compensation mechanism or a modified neuromuscular pattern in the elderly. The characteristics of the elderly walking should be taken into account when planning rehabilitation strategies of elderly gait training and for future studies on the elderly population.