Comparison of Gait of Young Men and Elderly Men potx

1989; 69:144-148.PHYS THER.
Daniel J Blanke and Patricia A Hageman
Comparison of Gait of Young Men and Elderly Men
found online at:
The online version of this article, along with updated information and services, can
Collections
Kinesiology/Biomechanics
Geriatrics: Other
in the following collection(s):
This article, along with others on similar topics, appears
e-Letters
"Responses" in the online version of this article.
"Submit a response" in the right-hand menu under
or click onhere To submit an e-Letter on this article, click
E-mail alerts to receive free e-mail alerts hereSign up
by guest on December 24, 2012 from
Comparison of Gait of Young Men and Elderly Men
The purpose of
this study
was to
describe
and
compare
the free-speed gait
characteristics
of healthy young men
with those
of
healthy elderly
men.
Data

collection consisted
of
high-speed cinematography resulting
in synchronized front
and
side views
of 24
healthy
male
volunteers,
12
between
20 and 32
years
of age
and 12
between
60 and
74 years
of age. Young men
were recruited
to match the
elderly
men on the
basis
of
right-leg
length.
Each
subject

participated
in
three
filmed
trials
of
free-speed
ambulation down a 14-m
walkway.
The processed film
was analyzed for
eight
gait
characteristics.
Differences
in
characteristics between
the
two groups
were examined using a
correlated
t
test
(p <
.01).
No
significant
differences
were
observed between the

groups for
step
and
stride
length,
velocity,
ankle range of motion,
vertical
and
horizontal excursions
of
the center
of gravity,
and pelvic
obliquity;
however,
the younger men
demonstrated
a
significantly
larger stride
width than
the elderly
men (p <
.01).
The results suggest that the
two
populations of
healthy
adult men

have
similar gait
characteristics.
[Blanke
DJ,
Hageman PA
Comparison
of gait of young men and
elderly
men.
Phys Ther
69:
144-148, 1989.]
Key Words:
Aging;
Gait;
Kinesiology/biomechanics,
gait
analysis.
Daniel J Blanke
Patricia A Hageman
Elderly people frequently use physical
therapy services to achieve their
maximal functional ability in motor
activities such as gait. Clinicians are
interested in the normal gait
characteristics of all age groups,
especially the elderly population.
Changes in walking patterns have been
reported as early as 60 years of age.

1,2
Murray et al found that timing and
stride dimensions were not
systematically related to age in their
gait study of
60
men aged 20 to 65
years;
however, the subjects 60 to 65
years of age differed from the younger
subjects in that they demonstrated
shorter step lengths and stride lengths,
decreased ankle extension, and
decreased pelvic rotation.
2
A
gait
analysis of
64
men aged 20 to 87 years
divided into eight age groups revealed
differences in the gait characteristics of
stride length, cadence, vertical
oscillation of the head, and movements
of the shoulders and ankles in the
three groups of men over 65 years of
age when compared with the younger
groups of men during free-speed gait.
3
Gabell and Nayak found no significant

differences between 32 healthy elderly
adults (aged 61-87 years) and 32
healthy adults (aged 21-47 years) in
their gait analysis of intercycle
variability of stride time, step length,
and stride length.
4
Several investigations and reports
analyzed the gait characteristics of
healthy men within a broad span of
ages,
including the elderly, to
determine ranges of
values
for gait
characteristics,
5,6
establish relationships
of gait characteristics with speed,
7,8
or
compare the gait characteristics of
healthy men with male populations
with pathological conditions.
9
These
investigations, however, did not directly
compare gait characteristics between
the young and elderly men.
Differences observed in the gait

characteristics of elderly men when
compared with young men were
similar to those found in the gait
characteristics of elderly women when
compared with young women.
10
Analysis of the gait patterns of men
separate from our previous comparison
of gait characteristics between matched
groups of healthy elderly women and
D Blanke, PhD, is Associate Professor, Department of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation,
University of Nebraska at Omaha, Sixtieth and Dodge St, Omaha, NE 68182.
P Hageman,
MS,
PT, is Assistant Professor, Division of Physical Therapy Education, School of
Allied
Health Professions, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 42nd and Dewey
Ave,
Omaha, NE
68105-1065 (USA). Address all correspondence to Mrs Hageman.
This article was submitted February
16,
1988;
was
with the
authors for revision for 12
weeks;
and
was
accepted August

25, 1988.
Physical Therapy/Volume 69, Number 2/ February 1989
144/61
by guest on December 24, 2012 from
healthy young women is necessary
because physiological differences have
been documented between the sexes.
11
Because few studies have investigated
the differences between healthy elderly
men and healthy young men, additional
comparisons are needed. Previous
studies attempted to compare groups
of men who were similar in height and
weight, although specific matching of
subjects between groups was not
completed.
2,3
Based on the results of previous
research, we hypothesized that a
significant difference would exist
between the healthy young and healthy
elderly groups on eight gait
characteristics. The purpose of this
study was to describe and compare the
free-speed gait characteristics of
matched groups of healthy elderly men
and healthy young men.
Method
Subjects and Selection Procedure

Twenty-four male volunteers, 12
between 20 and 32 years of age and 12
between 60 and 74 years of
age,
were
accepted as subjects in this study. Each
subject provided his informed consent
in accordance with the procedures of
the University of Nebraska Institutional
Review Board.
All of the subjects were found to be
free of disabling physical conditions or
minor ailments that could affect or
influence locomotion based on a
medical review and an objective
examination by a licensed physical
therapist. Specifically, the subjects were
without musculoskeletal or
neurological involvement or
medication for these conditions.
One tester (PAH) took all
measurements. Height and mass were
measured to provide descriptive
characteristics for the groups. An
average of three independent
measurements was used to determine
values for leg length and for skinfold
thickness, which were used to
determine the percentage of body fat.
Leg lengths were measured to ensure

that each subject was without a
leg-length discrepancy (±1.9 cm) as
defined by Subotnick.
12
This criterion is
important because leg length is a major
determinant of stride length.
13
The percentage of body fat of each
subject was determined using skinfold
measurements to ensure that no
subjects who were extremely lean or
obese would be included in the study.
Percentage of body fat for the young
male subjects was calculated using the
age-specific formula of Jackson and
Pollock.
14
All
young male subjects were
within one standard deviation of the
average percentage of body fat (13.4%
± 6.0%) for
18-
to 24-year-old men as
reported by Jackson and Pollock.
15
Subjects 60 years of age or older also
were within one standard deviation of
their age-specific average percentage of

body fat (22.6% ± 4.1%).
16
The elderly men meeting these criteria
were tested
first.
Young men meeting
these criteria were recruited to match
the elderly men on the basis of
right-leg length. The matching of
right-leg lengths was within the same
range suggested by Subotnick
12
for
leg-length discrepancies to achieve a
close pairing of subjects between the
young and elderly groups.
Instrumentation
Data collection consisted of high-speed
cinematography resulting in
synchronized front and side views of
each subject's free-speed gait down a
14-m walkway. The instrumentation,
gait laboratory, and measurement
methods for analysis have been
described in detail previously.
10,17,18
The front camera was a Photec IV*
fitted with a 50-mm Nikon lens
1
" set

15.6 m from the walkway. The side
camera, a
LoCam
‡
fitted
with a 25-mm
Cosmicar lens,
‡
was positioned 8 m
from the center of the walkway. Both
cameras were set to run at 100 frames
per second. A 1-m reference scale and
a lighting device were placed in the
view of both cameras to provide a
common reference for distance and for
synchronizing front and side film
frames during the film analysis.
The processed film was displayed on a
Lafayette Dataviewer
§
rear-projection
system. The desired measurements
were made directly from the projected
image.
A
Numonics digitizer
||
was used
in conjunction with the projection
system to assign separate

X,Y-coordinate values for any landmark
from both front- and side-view films.
The coordinate values for the
landmarks were stored in a computer
#
and used for calculating the variables.
The procedure described by
Sutherland and Hagy
17
and validated in
1980 by Sutherland et al
18
was followed
in this study to obtain the
measurements with the processed film.
Reliability of the measurements taken
from our processed film was high
when test-retest results were compared
during a pilot study. The same
observer (PAH) made all of the
test-retest measurements from the film,
recording a maximum deviation of 2.5
degrees for rotational measurements
and a maximum deviation of
2
cm for
distance measurements.
Gait variables measured from the side
view included ankle plantar-flexion and
dorsiflexion range of motion, velocity,

step length, stride length, and vertical
excursion of the center of
gravity.
The
front-view camera provided the data for
determining stride width, lateral center-
of-gravity excursion, and pelvic
obliquity.
*Photomic Systems, Inc, 265 H Sobrante Way, Sunnyvale, CA 94086.
†
Nikon, Inc, 623 Stewart Ave, Garden City, NY 11530.
‡
Redlake Corp, 1711 Dell Ave, Campbell, CA 95008.
§
Lafayette Instrument Co, 3700 Sagamore Pky N, PO Box 5729, Lafayette, IN 47903.
||
Numonics Corp, 418 Pierce St, Lansdale, PA 19446.
#
Model 4052, Tektronix, Inc, PO Box 500, Beaverton, OR 97077.
62/145
Physical Therapy/Volume 69, Number 2/ February 1989
by guest on December 24, 2012 from
Table 1 •
Basic Descriptive Characteristics
of
Subject Groups (N
= 24)
Variable
Age (yr)
Height (cm)

Mass (kg)
Body fat (%)
Leg length (cm)
Right
Left
Elderly Men (n = 12)
63.58
175.53
80.11
21.08
93.53
93.61
s
5.58
3.86
11.01
4.80
2.79
2.70
Range
(60.0-74.0)
(168.2-179.7)
(62.7-94.1)
(15.4-28.7)
(87.1-98.0)
(87.4-98.0)
Young Men (n = 12)
24.50
175.68
77.32

11.01
92.98
93.06
s
3.73
9.46
7.45
3.31
2.84
2.83
Range
(20.0-33.0)
(151.1-185.4)
(67.2-94.5)
(4.6-16.5)
(88.4-97.2)
(88.8-97.3)
df
22
22
22
11
11
t
-0.05
0.72
5.94
a
1.96
1.31

Procedure
Each subject participated in one
45-minute testing session at the Gait
Analysis Laboratory at the University of
Nebraska at Omaha. The required dress
included shorts and a sleeveless shirt.
Tape markers were placed on
anatomical points of each subject for
easy reference on the processed film.
The description and specific placement
of the markers have been described
previously.
10,12,13
The subjects then walked barefoot
along the 14-m walkway. The subjects
were requested to walk at what they
considered their natural pace when
walking down a sidewalk without
obstructions. The first 4.75 m of the
walkway allowed each subject to
accelerate to his chosen walking speed
before reaching the filmed area. The
area from which measurements were
taken was 3.25 m long, allowing one to
two gait cycles depending on the size
of the subject and his walking speed.
The last 6 m of the walkway ensured
that each subject did not decelerate
until he had left the
filming

area. Each
subject performed three trials.
Data Analysis
Means and standard deviations were
calculated for all of the variables. An
independent t test was used to
compare descriptive characteristics
between the groups. Differences in the
gait characteristics between the two
groups were examined using a
correlated t test because the groups
were nonrandom and matched for leg
length. Significance was accepted at the
.01 level.
Results
No significant differences were found
between the groups of men for either
right or left leg-length comparisons,
suggesting that the groups were well
matched for leg length. The elderly
men had a higher percentage of body
fat than the younger men. Both groups,
however, were within the normal range
for percentage of body fat based on
their age ranges. The basic descriptive
characteristics of both groups are
reported in Table 1.
No significant differences were found
between the two groups for all
variables measured from the side view,

including step length, stride length,
ankle
ROM,
velocity, and vertical
center-of-gravity excursion. The gait
characteristics from the side view are
presented in Table 2.
The elderly men demonstrated a
significantly smaller stride width (p <
.01) compared with the young men. No
significant differences were found
between the groups for lateral
excursion of the center of gravity or
pelvic obliquity. The values obtained
for the gait characteristics measured
from the film of the front-view camera
are shown in Table 3.
Discussion
This study resulted as a follow-up to a
previous study comparing healthy
Table 2.
Comparison
of
Subjects'
Gait Characteristics
Measured from
Side-view
Camera (N
= 24)
Variable

Step length (cm)
Stride length (cm)
Ankle range of motion (°)
Velocity (cm/sec)
Vertical center-of-gravity
excursion (cm)
Elderly Men (n = 12)
94.17
189.58
19.08
138.93
7.42
s
11.99
23.39
4.96
23.41
4.21
Young Men (n = 12)
87.58
192.58
21.25
131.32
8.22
s
6.46
18.03
5.67
17.52
5.00

t
a
1.49
-0.30
-0.85
0.77
0.37
a
p <
.01.
a
df= 11.
Physical Therapy/Volume 69, Number 2/ February 1989
146/63
by guest on December 24, 2012 from
elderly women with healthy young
women. Data for the male subjects in
this study were compared and analyzed
separately from the previous study of
women because of the documented
physiological differences between the
sexes.
11
We were interested in whether
the elderly men demonstrated the
same changes in gait that were
demonstrated by the elderly women.
We were also interested in whether the
elderly men in our study demonstrated
the same changes in gait that were

found in elderly men by other authors.
Specific comparison of the results of
many previous studies with data from
this study is limited because
normalization of gait measurements
with respect to body size is an
unresolved problem in human
locomotion research.
13
Matching of the
young group with the elderly group in
our study using leg-length
measurements was considered crucial
because of the influence of leg length
on stride length.
13
The values of step length and stride
length of the men in our study are
much greater than values published in
a study by Murray et al
2
involving 60
men aged 20 to 65 years and in a study
by Kirtley et al
7
of 10 male subjects 18
to 63 years of age walking at their
natural speed. Larsson et al examined
the stride length of
32

male and female
subjects aged 20 to 70 years during
walking speeds classified as "Very
slow," "slow," "ordinary," "fast," and
"very fast."
8
The mean values of stride
length from both groups of men in our
study are closest to the mean value of
stride length in the very fast category
(1.93 m) in the Larsson et al study.
8
Compared with the results of other
studies, both groups of men in our
study demonstrated very long stride
lengths; however, the mean values of
velocity for both groups of men in this
study were smaller than the mean
values of velocity from other
studies.
3,7,8
The conflicting results may
be attributed to the differences in the
population studied or methodologies
used for testing. Velocity of walking
may result from many combinations of
stride length and cadence, explaining
the differences found between the
Table 3. Comparison of Subjects' Gait Characteristics Measured from Front-view
Camera (N -24)

Variable
Lateral center-of-gravity
excursion (cm)
Stride width (cm)
Pelvic obliquity (°)
Elderly Men (n = 12)
2.28
8.25
6.08
s
1.20
5.09
2.50
Young Men (n = 12)
1.70
10.80
7.42
$
.72
3.94
2.11
t
a
1.23
-3.13
b
-1.55
studies. High values of stride length
reported from our subjects may be a
result of longer leg lengths.

The mean velocities of the elderly men
and the young men during free-speed
ambulation are similar to values
published by Katoh et al
9
of
32
male
and female subjects ambulating at their
chosen natural speed. The velocity
values of the men in this study are also
similar to the values of
534
men during
functional ambulation at locations such
as commercial, business, and
residential areas.
5
The similarity of
results suggests that the men in our
study selected a functional walking
speed as their natural free-speed gait.
Pelvic obliquity values of the men
reported in the literature ranged from
5 to 8 degrees, which is similar to the
findings in our study.
3,18
Both groups oi
men in this study maintained a lateral
center-of-gravity excursion within the

5-cm range reported in the literature.
13
The vertical excursion of the center of
gravity for both groups of men in this
study exceeded this 5-cm range. The
long stride lengths in relation to the
moderate gait velocities may explain
the larger values for vertical
center-of-gravity excursions.
Significant differences were observed
between the two groups of men in
stride width; however, both groups
demonstrated great variability in values
of stride width. Gabell and Nayak
4
reported similar
findings
in their study
of young subjects (21-47 years of age)
and elderly subjects (66-84 years of
age) during gait. Variability in values of
stride width was also observed in our
previous study of healthy elderly and
healthy young women.
10
Although the
younger men in our study
demonstrated statistically larger values
of stride width than the elderly men,
the mean stride-width values from both

groups are within the range of
2.5
to
12.7 cm reported in the literature.
3,6
No significant differences were
observed between the two groups in
this study for values of ankle
movement. Murray et al, however,
found slightly less excursion during
ankle movement in subjects 60 to 65
years of
age.
2
Older men (aged 81-87
years) demonstrated significantly less
ankle extension than younger men at
the end of stance phase.
3
Research
findings of elderly women also showed
decreased ankle movement.
10
Caution is advised when applying the
results of this study to other
populations because of the differences
in subject selection and measuring
techniques.
A
true random sampling of

the age groups may not have been
represented because of the small
sample size. Subjects' motivation and
ability to follow instructions may have
influenced the results. Despite our
adherence to the guidelines established
for subject selection, some subjects may
have had an undiagnosed or
unrecognized pathological condition
that affected their gait.
a
df =
11.
b
p<.01.
64/147
Physical Therapy/Volume 69, Number 2/ February 1989
by guest on December 24, 2012 from
Clinical Implications
This study of the linear and temporal
aspects of the gait patterns of healthy
young men and healthy elderly men
may assist physical therapists who use
gait characteristics to evaluate a
patient's progress. The degree that a
pathological condition would further
affect the gait characteristics of both
groups is beyond the scope of this
study.
The results of this comparison of

healthy elderly men with healthy young
men contrast with the results of a
previous study that used the same
methodology and compared matched
groups of healthy elderly women with
healthy young women.
10
The gait
characteristics between the two groups
of men did not differ, whereas the
healthy elderly women demonstrated a
smaller step and stride length, a slower
walking speed, less pelvic obliquity,
and less ankle movement than the
healthy young women. These
conflicting results may be attributed to
the documented physiological
differences between the sexes,
11
suggesting that the aging process affects
healthy women differently than healthy
men. It is unclear whether physical
activity affected the results in both
studies. Although the studies of men
and women involved healthy subjects,
the elderly men were more likely to
report participation in vigorous
activities (eg, Softball and hunting) than
the elderly women who participated in
an earlier study.

Further study of gait characteristics in
the elderly population is needed
before definitive conclusions may be
made about the effects of aging on gait.
Future research could focus on the
relationship of physical activity to the
gait characteristics observed.
Conclusions
The effects of aging were not observed.
The young men and the elderly men
did not demonstrate significant
differences in seven of the eight gait
characteristics examined (ie, step
length, stride length, ankle ROM,
velocity, vertical and horizontal
excursions of the center of
gravity,
and
pelvic obliquity). Although the young
men demonstrated significantly larger
values in stride width than the elderly
men, the values of stride width for both
groups were within the range
published for the healthy population.
The statistically different values were
not clinically relevant.
References
1 Berry G, Fisher R, Lang S: Detrimental
incidents, including falls, in the elderly
institutional population. J Am Geriatr Soc 29:

322-324, 1981
2 Murray
M,
Drought B, Ross C, et al: Walking
patterns of normal men. J Bone Joint Surg [Am]
46:335-360, 1964
3 Murray M, Kory R, Clarkson B: Walking
patterns in healthy old men. J Gerontol 24:169-
178,
1969
4 Gabell A, Nayak
V:
The effect of age on
variability in gait. J Gerontol 39:662-666, 1984
5 Finley F, Cody K: Locomotive characteristics of
urban pedestrians. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 51:
423-426, 1970
6 Bampton S: A Guide to the Visual
Examination of Pathological Gait. Philadelphia,
PA, Temple University Press, Rehabilitation
Research and Training Center #8, 1979
7 Kirtley C, Whittle
W,
Jefferson R: Influence of
walking speed on gait parameters. J Biomed Eng
7:282-288, 1985
8 Larsson L, Odenrick P, Sandlund B, et al: The
phases of the stride and their interaction in
human gait. Scand J Rehabil Med 12:107-112,
1980

9 Katoh Y, Chao Y, Laughman R, et al:
Biomechanical analysis of foot function during
gait and clinical applications. Clin Orthop 177:
23-33,
1983
10 Hageman PA, Blanke DJ: Comparison of gait
of young women and elderly women. Phys Ther
66:1382-1387, 1986
11 McArdle W, Katch K, Katch
V:
Exercise
Physiology: Energy, Nutrition, and Human
Performance, ed 3. Philadelphia, PA, Lea &
Febiger, 1986
12 Subotnik S: The short leg syndrome. J Am
Podiatr Med Assoc 66:720-723, 1976
13 Inman V, Ralston H, Todd R: Human
Walking. Baltimore, MD, Williams & Wilkins,
1981
14 Jackson A, Pollock M: Generalized equations
for predicting body density in men. Br J Nutr 40:
497-504, 1978
15 Jackson A, Pollock M: Prediction accuracy of
body density, lean body weight, and total body
volume equations. Med Sci Sports 9:197-201,
1977
16 Latin
R,
Johnson S, Ruhling R: An
anthropometric estimate of body composition of

older men. J Gerontol 42:24-28, 1987
17 Sutherland D, Hagy
J:
Measurement of gait
movements from motion picture film. J Bone
Joint Surg [Am] 54:787-797, 1972
18 Sutherland D, Olsen R, Cooper L, et al: The
development of mature gait. J Bone Joint Surg
[Am] 62:336-353, 1980
Physical Therapy/Volume 69, Number 2/ February 1989
148/65
by guest on December 24, 2012 from
1989; 69:144-148.PHYS THER.
Daniel J Blanke and Patricia A Hageman
Comparison of Gait of Young Men and Elderly Men
Cited by
/>This article has been cited by 6 HighWire-hosted articles:
Information
Subscription
/>Permissions and Reprints />Information for Authors /> by guest on December 24, 2012 from