Lower limb joint kinematics in older adults during steady-state walking in the home setting

Abstract

Background Older adults most commonly experience falls in the home setting, yet the extent to which age and the internal home environment influences gait remains poorly understood. This study aimed to measure lower limb joint kinematics in young and older adults when walking habitually throughout the home setting. Methods Ten healthy young adults (age: 27.7±1.8 years) and ten older adults (age: 74.7±7.0 years) performed nineteen diverse activities of daily living throughout a fully furnished single-bedroom apartment inclusive of a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living room. Each participant’s lower limb joint kinematics and spatiotemporal gait parameters were measured using inertial measurem..