Development of a methodology for biomechanical gait evaluation in older adults

• Ano de defesa: 2020
• Autor(a) principal: Aires, Andreia Gomes
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Tipo de acesso: Acesso aberto
• Idioma: eng
• Instituição de defesa: Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul; Escola Politécnica; Brasil; PUCRS; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Elétrica
• Palavras-chave em Português: Gait analysis; Biomechanics; Ground reaction forces; Older adults; Análise de marcha; Biomecânica; Forças de reação do solo; Idosos; ENGENHARIAS
• Link de acesso: http://tede2.pucrs.br/tede2/handle/tede/9336

Changes in the demographic profile of Brazil and the world serve as a motivation to direct attention to the population that has been changing the shape of the age pyramid, the elderly. Assessing the functional capacity of older adults is crucial to determine their level of independence and verify the potential that these individuals must perform their activities of daily living. Since functional capacity means the ability of an individual to maintain the physical and mental functions required to preserve their independence, assessing how older adults walk is essential to ensure that this activity of daily living is carried out safely. The determination of this level of functionality can be performed through the study of ground reaction forces (GRF) during the gait cycle, which is often performed in a qualitative way, making the results highly subjective and without standardization. In this context, the objective of this work was to develop a methodology for identifying and quantifying the main parameters that characterize the vertical and anterior-posterior curves of the GRF. This methodology was created using a database containing raw data from walking tests performed by 33 participants. The force signals used to perform the biomechanical assessment of gait in the elderly were captured by 8 force platforms, composed of 12 strain gauges each. An algorithm was developed for processing the GRF signal, transforming the raw force data into discrete gait parameters. As a result, the methodology delivers the values of the first vertical peak force, the lowest force between the two maximums vertical peak force, the second vertical peak force, braking peak, propulsion peak, as well as the times for these gait events. The impulses of the vertical and anterior-posterior forces were also calculated through the area under the force-time curve. Additionally, the values found in the processing of data from the elderly database, using the proposed methodology, were compared with other studies that also evaluated ground reaction forces in the elderly population. The development of this methodology proved to be efficient in the evaluation of kinetic and temporal parameters related to the gait of older adults. In addition, it will serve as an important tool for biomechanical analysis of the gait of different populations, providing new investigations and evaluations.