316 Effects of walking assist orthosis on gait patterns in the elderly

Abstract

Falls in older adults are the serious health problem due to the high medical costs and high mortality rates. In the present study we evaluated the risk factors against falling from the gait parameters and assessed the effect of walking orthosis on walking stability. Seven young and eight elderly walked on a self per-propelled treadmill for five minutes with and without handrail, and knee and hip supporters. Time series of gait parameters such as hip and knee angles, and the displacement of the calvaria were analyzed using stochastic and nonlinear analyses. Significant difference was observed in the hip and knee angle variability between young and elderly groups. The use of Handrail, hip and knee supporters did not improve gait stability in the elderly. Chaotic analysis suggests that gait pattern in the elderly might be a random rather than a chaotic nature.