Balance Control During the Delivery Stride in Competitive Older Age Lawn Bowlers

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark G.L. Sayers ◽  
Amanda L. Tweddle ◽  
Jessika Morris

This project assessed dynamic balance and stability in aged lawn bowlers during the delivery stride. Participants were divided into two groups: aged 65 years or less (n = 14) and aged over 65 years (n = 16). Standard balance-based center of pressure (CoP) and ground reaction force variables were recorded and a Dynamic Postural Stability Index (DPSI) was used for calculating during ten deliveries. None of the balance variables correlated significantly with age although years of bowling experience correlated with DPSI scores (r = -.42, P = .019). The over 65 group had significantly greater variance in the mediolateral CoP movements, with no other significant differences in balance or postural stability variables between groups. Analysis of covariance indicated that the DPSI data were influenced significantly by bowling experience regardless of age group. It was concluded that in older aged lawn bowlers, playing experience rather than age is a key determinant of balance control during the lawn bowls delivery action.

2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 488-493 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert C. Lynall ◽  
Kody R. Campbell ◽  
Timothy C. Mauntel ◽  
J. Troy Blackburn ◽  
Jason P. Mihalik

Context Researchers have suggested that balance deficiencies may linger during functional activities after concussion recovery. Objective To determine whether participants with a history of concussion demonstrated dynamic balance deficits as compared with control participants during single-legged hops and single-legged squats. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Laboratory. Patients or Other Participants A total of 15 previously concussed participants (6 men, 9 women; age = 19.7 ± 0.9 years, height = 169.2 ± 9.4 cm, mass = 66.0 ± 12.8 kg, median time since concussion = 126 days [range = 28–432 days]) were matched with 15 control participants (6 men, 9 women; age = 19.7 ± 1.6 years, height = 172.3 ± 10.8 cm, mass = 71.0 ± 10.4 kg). Intervention(s) During single-legged hops, participants jumped off a 30-cm box placed at 50% of their height behind a force plate, landed on a single limb, and attempted to achieve a stable position as quickly as possible. Participants performed single-legged squats while standing on a force plate. Main Outcome Measure(s) Time to stabilization (TTS; time for the normalized ground reaction force to stabilize after landing) was calculated during the single-legged hop, and center-of-pressure path and speed were calculated during single-legged squats. Groups were compared using analysis of covariance, controlling for average days since concussion. Results The concussion group demonstrated a longer TTS than the control group during the single-legged hop on the nondominant leg (mean difference = 0.35 seconds [95% confidence interval = 0.04, 0.64]; F2,27 = 5.69, P = .02). No TTS differences were observed for the dominant leg (F2,27 = 0.64, P = .43). No group differences were present for the single-legged squat on either leg (P ≥ .11). Conclusions Dynamic balance-control deficits after concussion may contribute to an increased musculoskeletal injury risk. Given our findings, we suggest that neuromuscular deficits currently not assessed after concussion may linger. Time to stabilization is a clinically applicable measure that has been used to distinguish patients with various pathologic conditions, such as chronic ankle instability and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, from healthy control participants. Whereas the single-legged squat may not sufficiently challenge balance control, future study of the more dynamic single-legged hop is needed to determine its potential diagnostic and prognostic value after concussion.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (22) ◽  
pp. 8077
Author(s):  
Jia-Li Sung ◽  
Lan-Yuen Guo ◽  
Chin-Hsuan Liu ◽  
Posen Lee ◽  
Chen-Wen Yen ◽  
...  

The center of pressure (COP), which is defined as the point at which the resultant ground reaction force (GRF) is applied on a body, provides valuable information for postural stability assessment. This is because the fundamental goal of balance control is to regulate the center of mass (COM) of the human body by adaptively changing the position of the COP. By using Newtonian mechanics to develop two equations that relate the two-dimensional COP coordinates to the GRF components, one can easily determine the location of the COP using a force plate. An important property of these two equations is that for a given COP position, there exists an infinite number of GRF component combinations that can satisfy these two equations. However, the manner in which a postural control system deals with such redundancy is still unclear. To address this redundancy problem, we introduce four postural stability features by quantifying the coupling strengths between the COP coordinates and their GRF components. Experiments involving younger (18–24 years old) and older (65–73 years) participants were conducted. The efficacy of the proposed features was demonstrated by comparing the differences between variants of each feature for each age group (18–24 and 65–73 years). The results demonstrated that the coupling strengths between the anterior–posterior (AP) direction coordinate of the COP and its GRF components for the older group were significantly higher than those of the younger group. These experimental results suggest that (1) the balance control system of the older group is more constrained than that of the younger group in coordinating the GRF components and (2) the proposed features are more sensitive to age variations than one of the most reliable and accurate conventional COP features. The best testing classification accuracy achieved by the proposed features was 0.883, whereas the testing classification accuracy achieved by the most accurate conventional COP feature was 0.777. Finally, by investigating the interactions between the COP and its GRF components using the proposed features, we found that that the AP component of the GRF of younger people plays a more active role in balance control than that of the GRF of older people. Based on these findings, it is believed that the proposed features can be used as a set of stability measures to assess the effects on posture stability from various health-related conditions such as aging and fall risk.


2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-32
Author(s):  
Alice D. LaGoy ◽  
Caleb Johnson ◽  
Katelyn F. Allison ◽  
Shawn D. Flanagan ◽  
Mita T. Lovalekar ◽  
...  

Warfighter performance may be compromised through the impact of load carriage on dynamic postural stability. Men and women may experience this impact to differing extents due to postural stability differences. Therefore, the authors investigated the effect of load magnitude on dynamic postural stability in men and women during a landing and stabilization task. Dynamic postural stability of 32 subjects (16 women) was assessed during the unilateral landing of submaximal jumps under 3 load conditions: +0%, +20%, and +30% body weight. Dynamic postural stability was measured using the dynamic postural stability index, which is calculated from ground reaction force data sampled at 1200 Hz. Two-way mixed-measures analysis of variance compared dynamic postural stability index scores between sexes and loads. Dynamic postural stability index scores were significantly affected by load (P = .001) but not by sex or by the sex by load interaction (P > .05). Dynamic postural stability index scores increased between the 0% (0.359 ± 0.041), 20% (0.396 ± 0.034), and 30% (0.420 ± 0.028) body weight conditions. Increased load negatively affects dynamic postural stability with similar performance decrements displayed by men and women. Men and women warfighters may experience similar performance decrements under load carriage conditions of similar relative magnitudes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (11) ◽  
pp. 776-782
Author(s):  
Jian-Zhi Lin ◽  
Wei-Hsun Tai ◽  
Lan-Yi Chiu ◽  
Yu-An Lin ◽  
Heng-Ju Lee

AbstractThis study determined the effect of divided attention on controlling postural stability during a drop vertical jump task. In total, 30 participants were tested for drop vertical jumps from a 30-cm high platform and landing on a single leg with or without divided attention tasks. Three-dimensional marker trajectories and ground reaction forces were collected simultaneously. Vertical ground reaction force, loading rate, and dynamic postural stability index were analyzed with or without divided attention tasks. The paired sample t test indicated a significantly low knee flexion angle, high vertical ground reaction force, and increased loading rate in the divided attention task. Moreover, participants showed an increased vertical stability index and dynamic postural stability index in the divided attention task than in the nondivided attention task. Thus, results demonstrated that the divided attention task could affect posture control, leading to poor dynamic posture stability and possibly increasing lower extremity injury risk. The influence of the divided attention task on movement quality likely indicates that an athlete can no longer focus his attention on the bounce drop jump maneuver. Therefore, the bounce drop jump combined with dynamic postural stability index could be used in posture stability screening.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 174-178
Author(s):  
Kelly M. Meiners ◽  
Janice K. Loudon

Purpose/Background: Various methods are available for assessment of static and dynamic postural stability. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between dynamic postural stability as measured by the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) and static postural sway assessment as measured by the TechnoBody™ Pro-Kin in female soccer players. A secondary purpose was to determine side-to-side symmetry in this cohort. Methods: A total of 18 female soccer players completed testing on the SEBT and Technobody™ Pro-Kin balance device. Outcome measures were anterior, posterior medial, and posterior lateral reaches from the SEBT and center of pressure in the x- and y-axes as well as SD of movement in the forward/backward and medial/lateral directions from the force plate on left and right legs. Bivariate correlations were determined between the 8 measures. In addition, paired Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were performed to determine similarity between limb scores. Results: All measures on both the SEBT and postural sway assessment were significantly correlated when comparing dominant with nondominant lower-extremities with the exception of SD of movement in both x- and y-axes. When correlating results of the SEBT with postural sway assessment, a significant correlation was found between the SEBT right lower-extremity posterior lateral reach (r = .567, P < .05) and summed SEBT (r = .486, P < .05) and the center of pressure in the y-axis. A significant correlation was also found on the left lower-extremity, with SD of forward/backward movement and SEBT posterior medial reach (r = −.511, P < .05). Conclusions: Dynamic postural tests and static postural tests provide different information to the overall assessment of balance in female soccer players. Relationship between variables differed based on the subject’s lower-extremity dominance.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-64
Author(s):  
Anis Rostami ◽  
Amir Letafatkar ◽  
Alli Gokeler ◽  
Mehdi Khaleghi Tazji

Context: Female volleyball players are more predisposed to anterior cruciate ligament injury in comparison with their male counterparts. Recent research on anterior cruciate ligament injury prevention strategies has shown the positive results of adopting the external focus (EF) of attention in sports. Objective: To determine the effect of 6-week EF instruction exercises on performance and kinetic factors associated with lower-extremity injury in landing after the volleyball blocks of female athletes. Design: Pretest and posttest control study. Setting: University research laboratory. Participants: Thirty-two female volleyball players (18–24 y old) from the same team randomly divided into experimental (n = 16) and control (n = 16) groups. Intervention: The experimental group performed a 6-week exercise program with EF instructions. The control group continued its regular volleyball team schedule. Main Outcome Measures: To assess function, single-leg triple hop test for distance was used. A force plate was used to evaluate kinetic variables including vertical ground reaction forces, the rate of loading, and dynamic postural stability index. All data were assessed at baseline and after the intervention. Results: There was a significant increase in single-leg triple hop test (P < .05) and in the first and second peak ground reaction force, rate of loadings, dynamic postural stability index (P < .05). Conclusion: According to the results of this study, anterior cruciate ligament injury prevention programs should incorporate EF instruction exercises to enhance the kinetics and to increase athletes’ functional performance.


Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1358
Author(s):  
Dongchul Moon ◽  
Juhyeon Jung

Effective balance rehabilitation is essential to address flat foot (pes planus) which is closely associated with reduced postural stability. Although sensorimotor training (SMT) and short-foot exercise (SFE) have been effective for improving postural stability, the combined effects of SMT with SFE have not been evaluated in previous studies. The aim of this study was to compare the lone versus combined effects of SMT with SFE on postural stability among participants with flat foot. This was a single-blinded, randomized controlled trial. A total of 32 flat-footed participants were included in the study (14 males and 18 females) and assigned to the SMT combined with SFE group and SMT alone group. All participants underwent 18 sessions of the SMT program three times a week for six weeks. Static balance, dynamic balance, and the Hmax/Mmax ratio were compared before and after the interventions. Static and dynamic balance significantly increased in the SMT combined with SFE group compared with the SMT alone group. However, the Hmax/Mmax ratio was not significantly different between the two groups. Therefore, this study confirms that the combination of SMT and SFE is superior to SMT alone to improve postural balance control in flat-footed patients in clinical settings.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabian Horst ◽  
Djordje Slijepcevic ◽  
Marvin Simak ◽  
Wolfgang I. Schöllhorn

AbstractThe Gutenberg Gait Database comprises data of 350 healthy individuals recorded in our laboratory over the past seven years. The database contains ground reaction force (GRF) and center of pressure (COP) data of two consecutive steps measured - by two force plates embedded in the ground - during level overground walking at self-selected walking speed. The database includes participants of varying ages, from 11 to 64 years. For each participant, up to eight gait analysis sessions were recorded, with each session comprising at least eight gait trials. The database provides unprocessed (raw) and processed (ready-to-use) data, including three-dimensional GRF and two-dimensional COP signals during the stance phase. These data records offer new possibilities for future studies on human gait, e.g., the application as a reference set for the analysis of pathological gait patterns, or for automatic classification using machine learning. In the future, the database will be expanded continuously to obtain an even larger and well-balanced database with respect to age, sex, and other gait-specific factors.


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin Hyuck Lee ◽  
Dae-Hee Lee ◽  
Jong-Hoon Park ◽  
Dong Won Suh ◽  
Eunseon Kim ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Only limited data are available regarding postural stability between anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-injured patients with medial meniscus (MM) tear and those with lateral meniscus (LM) tear. The purpose of this study was to compare preoperative postural stability for both involved and uninvolved knees in ACL rupture combined with MM and LM tears. It was hypothesized that there would be a significant difference in postural stability between these two groups. Methods Ninety-three ACL-injured patients (53 combined with MM tears vs. 40 combined with LM tears) were included. Static and dynamic postural stability were evaluated with the overall stability index (OSI), anterior–posterior stability index (APSI), and medial–lateral stability index (MLSI) using stabilometry. Knee muscle strength was evaluated using an isokinetic testing device. Results In the static postural stability test, none of the stability indices showed significant differences between the two groups for both knees (p > 0.05). In the dynamic postural stability test for involved side knees, the OSI and APSI were significantly higher in the LM tear group compared to the MM tear group (OSI: 2.0 ± 0.8 vs. 1.6 ± 0.5, p = 0.001; APSI: 1.5 ± 0.6 vs. 1.3 ± 0.5, p = 0.023), but not the MLSI (p > 0.05). In the static and dynamic postural stability tests in each group, there were no significant differences between the involved and uninvolved side knees (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference in the knee muscle strength between the two groups (p > 0.05). All postural stability showed no significant correlation with knee muscle strength (p > 0.05). Conclusion Dynamic postural stability was poorer in patients with ACL rupture combined with LM tear than in those with MM tear. Therefore, close monitoring for postural stability would be necessary during preoperative and postoperative rehabilitation, especially for patients with ACL rupture combined with LM tear. Level of evidence: Level III


Healthcare ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan De la Torre ◽  
Javier Marin ◽  
Marco Polo ◽  
José J. Marín

Balance disorders have a high prevalence among elderly people in developed countries, and falls resulting from balance disorders involve high healthcare costs. Therefore, tools and indicators are necessary to assess the response to treatments. Therefore, the aim of this study is to detect relevant changes through minimal detectable change (MDC) values in patients with balance disorders, specifically with vertigo. A test-retest of a static and dynamic balance test was conducted on 34 healthy young volunteer subjects using a portable stabilometric platform. Afterwards, in order to show the MDC applicability, eight patients diagnosed with balance disorders characterized by vertigo of vestibular origin performed the balance test before and after a treatment, contrasting the results with the assessment by a specialist physician. The balance test consisted of four tasks from the Romberg test for static balance control, assessing dynamic postural balance through the limits of stability (LOS). The results obtained in the test-retest show the reproducibility of the system as being similar to or better than those found in the literature. Regarding the static balance variables with the lowest MDC value, we highlight the average velocity of the center of pressure (COP) in all tasks and the root mean square (RMS), the area, and the mediolateral displacement in soft surface, with eyes closed. In LOS, all COP limits and the average speed of the COP and RMS were highlighted. Of the eight patients assessed, an agreement between the specialist physician and the balance test results exists in six of them, and for two of the patients, the specialist physician reported no progression, whereas the balance test showed worsening. Patients showed changes that exceeded the MDC values, and these changes were correlated with the results reported by the specialist physician. We conclude that (at least for these eight patients) certain variables were sufficiently sensitive to detect changes linked to balance progression. This is intended to improve decision making and individualized patient monitoring.


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