Abstract Summary
Older adults (OA) have challenges regulating stability during gait. This work sought to understand how aging influences anterior-posterior stability (AP), by examining ground reaction force (GRF) eccentricity generated by each limb. 28 younger-adults (YA)(18-31 years) and 28 OA(>65 years) completed three walking conditions. Whole-body COM kinematics and individual-limb GRFs were quantified. The eccentricity of individual-limb GRFs relative to the COM were calculated (θd). The distance between the COM the anterior limit of the BOS (dmin) was quantified at the onset of single-limb support as a measure of stability. Relative to YA, OA exhibited a significantly smaller dmin, smaller step length, and no differences in θd. Although the COM was more centered in the BOS at the onset of single limb support, the lack of age-related differences in θd and the smaller dmin among OA may suggest a heightened risk of forward falls.
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