Un-normalised and Normalised Plantar Pressure Distribution Comparison between Older Adults and Adults while Single limb Support Interval

Abstract

Age-related changes in human gait have recently become a major focus for research because these changes could be the leading cause of falls sustained by older adults. The scientific and clinical evaluation of foot and gait pathologies can be obtained by performing plantar pressure distribution measurements. It is well known that most foot problems including falls faced by older adults occur during gait. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the un-normalised and normalised data based on weight and time values of contact pressures and peak contact pressures to be compared between older adults and adults in fifteen anatomically defined foot regions, covering the whole plantar surface to thoroughly study and understand the scientific underlying cause of impaired balance during gait with advancing age, particularly in mid- stance phase (when one limb has to be responsible to bear the body weight, thereby keeping body balance). Furthermore, it aimed to study whether taking into account the data normalised to subject’s weight and to the time required to finish the stance phase had implications on pressures and peak pressures comparison for the two cohorts. Six participants were recruited to perform eighteen trials of normal human walking using a floor-based pressure mat system. The results revealed higher values of contact pressure and peak plantar pressure for older adults’ group in a number of plantar regions, except the regions of heel and second toe during the mid-stance phase. In addition, weight and time normalised data revealed as well higher values in selected plantar regions, except the regions of heel and second toe for the older adults’ group, which had lower values when compared to the adults’ group.