Poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogel as a biocompatible viscoelastic mimetic for articular cartilage.

The prevalence of suboptimal outcome for surgical interventions in the treatment of full-thickness articular cartilage damage suggests that there is scope for a materials-based strategy to deliver a more durable repair. Given that the superficial layer of articular cartilage creates and sustains the tribological function of synovial joints, it is logical that candidate materials should have surface viscoelastic properties that mimic native articular cartilage. The present paper describes force spectroscopy analysis by nano-indentation to measure the elastic modulus of the surface of a novel poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogel with therapeutic potential as a joint implant.

Falls in older people: effects of age and blurring vision on the dynamics of stepping.

Purpose: The risk of falling increases dramatically with age, and visual impairment is known to be an important risk factor. Therefore, it is highly pertinent to assess the effects of age and vision on the performance of everyday tasks linked to falling, such as stepping from one level to another.

Methods: Nine young (age, 26 +/- 4 years) and ten elderly (age, 72 +/- 5 years) subjects performed a stepping-up task of three different heights.

The effects of blurred vision on the mechanics of landing during stepping down by the elderly.

Visual impairment is an important risk factor for falls. However, relatively little is known about how visual impairment affects stair or step negotiation. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of blurred vision on the mechanics of landing during stepping down by the elderly.

Stepping up to a new level: effects of blurring vision in the elderly.

Purpose: . To determine the effects of blurring vision on whole-body center-of-mass (CM) dynamics and foot-clearance parameters in elderly individuals performing a single step up to a new level.

Methods: .