Centre of mass control during stair negotiation is affected by tread nosing, handrail use and chronic stroke status

Stair navigation is a risky task for older adults and people with balance disorders. In this study, we evaluated the effect of stair nosing design and handrail use on centre-of-mass (COM) control during ascent and descent. COM anterior displacement was affected by stair nosing, while handrail use decreased COM-extremity coordination. The latter functionally allows for potential adjustments to task variability with handrail use rather than a priority to synchronize with COM.