The Relationship Between Plantarflexor Moment Arm, Muscle Activation Patterns And Gait Velocity In The Elderly

Previous research suggests a link between the onset of functional dependence, mortality, and reductions in gait velocity among elderly, associated with effects of aging on the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Yet underlying processes contributing to these reductions are not well known. The purpose of this study was to investigate ankle structure and lower limb muscle activation to identify differences which could be related to reduced gait velocity seen in aging. No association was found between gait velocity and PFMA (r = -0.13, p = 0.627) but a low positive correlation was found between effective mechanical advantage (EMA) and medial gastrocnemius (MG-LG) bias in stance (r = 0.42, p = 0.108). The present study does not confirm links between moment arm and gait velocity or stance phase muscle bias in elderly observed previously. Elderly subjects might not modify neuromuscular control similar to younger individuals with lower EMA. Indicating the possibility of dedifferentiation and loss of complexity within a younger elderly group that was physically active. Previously suggested relationships between these variables may have task-intensity dependencies relative to the groups studied. To this point, the influence of ankle joint leverage and lower leg neuromuscular activation patterns in elderly gait decline remain unclear.