The mechanical energetics of walking across the adult lifespan.

<h4>Purpose</h4>Understanding what constitutes normal walking mechanics across the adult lifespan is crucial to the identification and intervention of early decline in walking function. Existing research has assumed a simple linear alteration in peak joint powers between young and older...

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Main Authors: Bernard X W Liew, David Rugamer, Kim Duffy, Matthew Taylor, Jo Jackson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2021-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259817
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author Bernard X W Liew
David Rugamer
Kim Duffy
Matthew Taylor
Jo Jackson
author_facet Bernard X W Liew
David Rugamer
Kim Duffy
Matthew Taylor
Jo Jackson
author_sort Bernard X W Liew
collection DOAJ
description <h4>Purpose</h4>Understanding what constitutes normal walking mechanics across the adult lifespan is crucial to the identification and intervention of early decline in walking function. Existing research has assumed a simple linear alteration in peak joint powers between young and older adults. The aim of the present study was to quantify the potential (non)linear relationship between age and the joint power waveforms of the lower limb during walking.<h4>Methods</h4>This was a pooled secondary analysis of the authors' (MT, KD, JJ) and three publicly available datasets, resulting in a dataset of 278 adults between the ages of 19 to 86 years old. Three-dimensional motion capture with synchronised force plate assessment was performed during self-paced walking. Inverse dynamics were used to quantity joint power of the ankle, knee, and hip, which were time-normalized to 100 stride cycle points. Generalized Additive Models for location, scale and shape (GAMLSS) was used to model the effect of cycle points, age, walking speed, stride length, height, and their interaction on the outcome of each joint's power.<h4>Results</h4>At both 1m/s and 1.5 m/s, A2 peaked at the age of 60 years old with a value of 3.09 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.95 to 3.23) W/kg and 3.05 (95%CI 2.94 to 3.16), respectively. For H1, joint power peaked with a value of 0.40 (95%CI 0.31 to 0.49) W/kg at 1m/s, and with a value of 0.78 (95%CI 0.72 to 0.84) W/kg at 1.5m/s, at the age of 20 years old. For H3, joint power peaked with a value of 0.69 (95%CI 0.62 to 0.76) W/kg at 1m/s, and with a value of 1.38 (95%CI 1.32 to 1.44) W/kg at 1.5m/s, at the age of 70 years old.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Findings from this study do not support a simple linear relationship between joint power and ageing. A more in-depth understanding of walking mechanics across the lifespan may provide more opportunities to develop early clinical diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for impaired walking function. We anticipate that the present methodology of pooling data across multiple studies, is a novel and useful research method to understand motor development across the lifespan.
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spelling doaj.art-b9d8a9dded744f5d869863254bc002722022-12-21T19:24:45ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032021-01-011611e025981710.1371/journal.pone.0259817The mechanical energetics of walking across the adult lifespan.Bernard X W LiewDavid RugamerKim DuffyMatthew TaylorJo Jackson<h4>Purpose</h4>Understanding what constitutes normal walking mechanics across the adult lifespan is crucial to the identification and intervention of early decline in walking function. Existing research has assumed a simple linear alteration in peak joint powers between young and older adults. The aim of the present study was to quantify the potential (non)linear relationship between age and the joint power waveforms of the lower limb during walking.<h4>Methods</h4>This was a pooled secondary analysis of the authors' (MT, KD, JJ) and three publicly available datasets, resulting in a dataset of 278 adults between the ages of 19 to 86 years old. Three-dimensional motion capture with synchronised force plate assessment was performed during self-paced walking. Inverse dynamics were used to quantity joint power of the ankle, knee, and hip, which were time-normalized to 100 stride cycle points. Generalized Additive Models for location, scale and shape (GAMLSS) was used to model the effect of cycle points, age, walking speed, stride length, height, and their interaction on the outcome of each joint's power.<h4>Results</h4>At both 1m/s and 1.5 m/s, A2 peaked at the age of 60 years old with a value of 3.09 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.95 to 3.23) W/kg and 3.05 (95%CI 2.94 to 3.16), respectively. For H1, joint power peaked with a value of 0.40 (95%CI 0.31 to 0.49) W/kg at 1m/s, and with a value of 0.78 (95%CI 0.72 to 0.84) W/kg at 1.5m/s, at the age of 20 years old. For H3, joint power peaked with a value of 0.69 (95%CI 0.62 to 0.76) W/kg at 1m/s, and with a value of 1.38 (95%CI 1.32 to 1.44) W/kg at 1.5m/s, at the age of 70 years old.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Findings from this study do not support a simple linear relationship between joint power and ageing. A more in-depth understanding of walking mechanics across the lifespan may provide more opportunities to develop early clinical diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for impaired walking function. We anticipate that the present methodology of pooling data across multiple studies, is a novel and useful research method to understand motor development across the lifespan.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259817
spellingShingle Bernard X W Liew
David Rugamer
Kim Duffy
Matthew Taylor
Jo Jackson
The mechanical energetics of walking across the adult lifespan.
PLoS ONE
title The mechanical energetics of walking across the adult lifespan.
title_full The mechanical energetics of walking across the adult lifespan.
title_fullStr The mechanical energetics of walking across the adult lifespan.
title_full_unstemmed The mechanical energetics of walking across the adult lifespan.
title_short The mechanical energetics of walking across the adult lifespan.
title_sort mechanical energetics of walking across the adult lifespan
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259817
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