2012 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Relationship between range of motion of the spinal column and mechanics characteristic at the compensatory stepping reaction in the elderly

Research Project

Project/Area Number	23800048
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Research Field	Biomedical engineering/Biological material science
Research Institution	Chiba Prefectural University of Health Sciences
Principal Investigator	TAKEUCHI Yahiko 千葉県立保健医療大学, 健康科学部リハビリテーション学科, 准教授 (80609917)
Project Period (FY)	2011 – 2012
Keywords	脊柱形態 / 脊柱可動域 / 高齢者・ステップ反応 / 身体動揺 / 関節モーメント
Research Abstract	The purpose of this study was to investigate relations with the deflection characteristic of the body center of mass at landing of the backward stepping and the joint moment, and range of motion of the spinal column in the elderly.The results of this study showed a significant negative correlation between the amount of thebody center of mass and ankle plantar flexion moments in the elderly group. Furthermore, significant negative correlation was observed between the extension range of motion from the 11th thoracic vertebra to the 12th thoracic vertebra and deflection of the body center of mass at the landing phase of the backward stepping reaction.This study suggests that, for controlling deflection of the body center of mass at the landing phase, extension range of motion in the transition region between the thoracic vertebra and lumbar vertebrae take an important role.

(4 results)