Kongsawasdi Siriphan, Bunjan Pummarirat, Wongjak Molthicha, Saenmueng Witchayaphorn, Wantanajittikul Kittichai
Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Department of Radiologic Technology, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
J Clin Med Res. 2025 Apr;17(4):200-207. doi: 10.14740/jocmr6184. Epub 2025 Apr 11.
Assessment of center of mass (COM) changes during static stance control has practical implications in clinical settings, notably among older adults. Recently portable and wearable devices, including accelerometers and gyroscopes, have emerged as a promising alternative to traditional clinical and laboratory assessments. The objectives of the study were to evaluate COM postural sway parameters derived from accelerometer and gyroscope data during static balance tasks with varying bases of support in healthy elderly individuals, and to examine the correlation and agreement between accelerometer-based and gyroscope-based parameters in postural sway assessment.
One hundred and fourteen healthy elderly individuals who had not experienced falls within the preceding 6 months and were confirmed to have no risk of falling as determined by the timed up and go test, were included in this study. They were evaluated for postural sway while standing, using the sensor securely with a belt attached to the L5 vertebra. The four-stage balance test, including standing in a double stance (SO), semi-tandem stance (STO), tandem stance (TO), and single-leg stance (SL), was employed to assess each participant's ability to maintain balance under increasingly challenging standing positions on a stable surface.
The study demonstrated that COM posture sway increased with a demanding position and a decreasing base of support. Spearman's rho correlation coefficients from the anteroposterior and mediolateral planes exhibited strong correlation (0.75 - 0.9). Moderate reliability was observed for both the accelerometer and gyroscope parameters in both planes (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.5 and 0.75).
Accelerometry and gyroscopes provide objective quantification of balance that have the potential to be utilized in conjunction with clinical tests to effectively evaluate the risk of falling.
在临床环境中，尤其是在老年人中，评估静态姿势控制过程中的质心（COM）变化具有实际意义。最近，包括加速度计和陀螺仪在内的便携式可穿戴设备已成为传统临床和实验室评估的一种有前景的替代方法。本研究的目的是评估健康老年人在不同支撑面的静态平衡任务中，从加速度计和陀螺仪数据得出的COM姿势摆动参数，并检查姿势摆动评估中基于加速度计和基于陀螺仪的参数之间的相关性和一致性。
本研究纳入了114名健康老年人，他们在过去6个月内未发生过跌倒，并且通过计时起立行走测试确定没有跌倒风险。他们在站立时接受姿势摆动评估，将传感器通过系在L5椎骨上的腰带牢固固定。采用四阶段平衡测试，包括双脚站立（SO）、半串联站立（STO）、串联站立（TO）和单腿站立（SL），以评估每位参与者在稳定表面上越来越具有挑战性的站立姿势下保持平衡的能力。
研究表明，COM姿势摆动随着姿势要求的提高和支撑面的减小而增加。前后平面和内外侧平面的斯皮尔曼相关系数显示出强相关性（0.75 - 0.9）。在两个平面中，加速度计和陀螺仪参数均观察到中等可靠性（组内相关系数：0.5和0.75）。
加速度测量法和陀螺仪提供了平衡的客观量化，有可能与临床测试结合使用，以有效评估跌倒风险。
