Foot-ground clearance characteristics in women: A comparison across different ages.

Background: Tripping is a common event leading to falls amongst elderly. Minimum foot clearance (MFC) is a critical swing phase control factor associated with tripping and falls.

Research Question: Are there differences in MFC characteristics among three age groups of women and are there association between MFC and lower limb kinematics?

Methods: Cross-sectional observational study. Three-dimensional gait analysis of 55 healthy women. ANOVA was used to compare (p<0.05) MFC characteristics among young, middle-aged and elderly groups. Multiple Linear Regression Analysis was used to test prediction over MFC.

Results: Elderly women walked slower, with lower MFC and lower maximum foot velocity during swing (MFV) than young and middle-aged women. There were more hip flexion and less ankle dorsiflexion during MFC among elderly. There is a strong positive relationship between dorsiflexion and MFC. And ankle dorsiflexion was the most predictive variable over MFC.

Significance: Elderly women walk slower with lower MFC value and less ankle dorsiflexion than gender-matched young controls. Increased hip flexion may represent a gait adaptation to avoid tripping. Gait speed had no effect on those findings.