Effects of Improved Calf Muscle Function on Gait, Balance and Joint Loading in Older Adults

University of Eastern Finland

Status: Completed

Conditions: Accidental Fall; Mobility Limitation; Osteoarthritis, Knee

Treatments: Other: Gait retraining; Other: Gait retraining + strength training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03921801

LS_Plantarflex

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study investigates the role of calf muscle function in gait performance, balance and knee joint loading.

Previous studies have linked age-related loss of calf muscle function with impairments in gait performance and balance, and increased loading of the areas of the knee joint that are susceptible to the development of osteoarthritis. In this study, an exercise intervention targeting structural and neural aspects of impaired calf muscle function with ageing is utilized. The intervention lasts 8 weeks and includes either biofeedback training using electromyography to alter muscle activation patterns or a combination of biofeedback training and strength training for the calf muscle to modify calf function during walking. The study will test whether the intervention improves walking speed, reduces the metabolic cost of walking, improves standing balance and reduces knee joint loading.

Enrollment: 30 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65 to 75 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• age between 65 and 75

Exclusion criteria

• dependent living status
• not able to walk without an assistive device or for 30 min without stopping
• diagnosed neurological disease or joint disorder and pain during walking
• surgery on lower extremities
• current musculoskeletal injury
• previous cardiovascular event or symptoms during exercise (acute ECG change, coronary disease, symptomatic arrhythmia, symptomatic coronary stenosis, heart failure, myocarditis, pericarditis, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary infarct, artery bulge or rupture risk)
• body mass index <18 or >35 kg/m2
• contraindications for magnetic resonance imaging
• Mini Mental State Examination score of 23 points and lower

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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30 participants in 2 patient groups

Gait retraining

Active Comparator group

Description:

8-week intervention. Intervention includes weekly gait retraining sessions with real-time electromyography biofeedback.

Treatment:

Other: Gait retraining

Gait retraining + strength training

Experimental group

Description:

8-week intervention. Intervention includes weekly gait retraining sessions with real-time electromyography biofeedback and home-based strength training session for plantarflexor muscles three times per week.

Treatment:

Other: Gait retraining + strength training