Effects of step length, age, and fall history on hip and knee kinetics and knee co-contraction during the maximum step length test.

Background: Maximum step length is a brief clinical test involving stepping out and back as far as possible with the arms folded across the chest. This test has been shown to predict fall risk, but the biomechanics of this test are not fully understood. Knee and hip kinetics (moments and powers) are greater for longer steps and for younger subjects, but younger subjects also step farther.

Non-invasive fall risk assessment in community dwelling elderly with wireless inertial measurement units.

Falls are among the most serious accidents among the elderly leading to increased injuries, reduced functioning and mortality. In 2009, about 2.2 million nonfatal fall injuries were reported among the elderly population (CDC, 2010).