• 한국체육학회지인문사회과학편
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.345-356
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• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the local stability of the lower extremity joints and muscle activation patterns of the lower extremity during walking between falling and non-falling group in the elderly women. Method: Forty women, heel strikers, were recruited for this study. Twenty subjects (age:72.55±5.42yrs; height:154.40±4.26cm; mass:57.40±6.21kg; preference walking speed:0.52±0.17m/s; fall frequency=1.70±1.26 times) had a history falls(fall group) within two years and Twenty subjects (71.90±2..90yrs; height:155.28±4.73cm; mass:56.70±5.241kg; preference walking speed: 0.56±0.13m/s) had no history falls(non-fall group). While they were walking on a instrumented treadmill at their preference speed for a long while, kinematic and EMG signals were obtained using 3-D motion capture and wireless EMG electrodes, respectively. Local stability of the ankle and knee joint were calculated using Lyapunov Exponent (LyE) and muscles activation and their co-contraction index were also quantified. Hypotheses were tested using one-way ANOVA and Mann-Whitey. Spearman rank was also used to determine the correlation coefficients between variables. Level of significance was set at p<.05. Results: Local stability in the knee joint adduction-abduction was significantly greater in fall group than non-fall group(p<.05). Activation of anterior tibials that acts on the foot segment dorsal flexion was greater in non-fall group than fall group(p<.05). CI between gastrocnemius and anterior tibials was found to be significantly different between two groups(p<.05). In addition, there was significant correlation between CI of the leg and LyE of the ankle joint flexion-extention in the fall group(p<.05). Conclusion: In conclusion, muscles that act on the knee joint abduction-adduction as well as gastrocnemius and anterior tibials that act on the ankle joint flexion-extention need to be strengthened to prevent from potential fall during walking.