Abstract
This study examined the relationship between muscle strength in the lower extremities and mobility in activities of daily living in the elderly.
Thirty-five elderly womem over 69 years old (mean age of 82.1±17.0 y.o) who lived in a home for aged were studied. Muscles of the lower extremities including hip extensor, hip flexor, hip abductor, hip adductor, knee extensor, knee flexor, ankle dorsi flexor, and ankle plantar flexor were evaluated. The strength of each muscle was evaluated as the bilateral average of the percentage of weight to maximal isometric strength measured by a hand-held dyanamometer in an appropriate position using the Bohnnon method. Mobility in activities of daily living was scored using the section related to transfer, moving, and climbing stairs in the Functional Indepence Measure (F. I. M).
Speaman’s correlation coefficient by ranks was adapted to identify the muscles closely related to mobility performance, and then, the muscle strength required for independent moving activities was clarified by cut off analysis for these muscles respectively.
High correlation coefficients were shown for ankle dorisi flexor (r=0.75, p<0.001), and knee extensor (r=0.74, p<0.001). Therefore, ankle dorisi flexor and knee extensor were closely related to the mobility. Cut off analysis indicated the discriminatory criterion was 0.42 Nm/kg in ankle dorisi flexor, and, 1.43 Nm/kg in knee extenser.
