Persons Who Have Experienced a Sudden Uncontrolled Fall in the Absence of Outside Factors in the 6 Months Preceding the Consultation Clinical Trial
Official title:
Study of the Relationship Between the Strength of Ankle Movement Muscles and Postural Parameters in Elderly Fallers: Towards New Strategies for Screening and Management
The quality of life of elderly citizens is to a great extent related to the maintenance of independence. The risk of falling and the loss of autonomy are two frequent problems associated with ageing. Although the impact of falls on functional outcomes and morbi-mortality in the elderly is well-established, the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying these falls are poorly understood. To better assess the risk of falling, numerous studies have investigated the use of dynamic and static posturography. These studies sought to characterise populations of fallers and non-fallers using parameters from postural analysis. Nonetheless, a new concept may emerge: weakening of the ankle movement muscles may be implicated in the age-related deterioration of posture. Even though it has been shown that this decrease occurs earlier and is more severe in fallers, the direct relationship between the strength of ankle movement muscles and balance parameters in elderly fallers has not yet been established. The existence of such a relationship would make it possible on the one hand to facilitate screening for those with a risk of falling, and on the other hand to enrich our understanding of the pathophysiology of the risk of falling. The perspective would therefore be to propose programmes focused on the strengthening of these deficient muscles.
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