Chinpeerasathian Chatanun, Siriphorn Akkradate, Pensri Praneet
Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
PLoS One. 2025 Sep 16;20(9):e0331928. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0331928. eCollection 2025.
Older adults with pronated foot may face greater challenges in maintaining balance, which increases their risk of falling. Reactive balance, which refers to the ability to restore stability following an unforeseen disturbance, is a key component in evaluating fall-related postural control. Evaluating reactive balance can provide insights about balance capabilities and potential fall risks in this population.
This study compared the reactive balance (center of mass displacement and reaction time) between older women with and without pronated foot.
Thirty-two older women comprising 16 with bilateral pronated foot and 16 without pronated foot participated in the study. To assess reactive balance, a three-dimensional motion analysis was conducted. Each participant was equipped with 29 retroreflective markers and compensatory stepping corrections were performed in the forward direction. Independent t-test was used to compare the center of mass displacement and reaction time between the two groups.
The older women with pronated foot exhibited significantly slower reaction times than those without pronated foot (p = 0.017). However, no significant difference was determined for the center of mass displacement between the two groups (p = 0.367).
This study indicated that older women with pronated foot had significantly prolonged reaction times, suggesting an impairment in reactive response. However, the lack of significant differences in the center of mass displacement between those with and without pronated foot suggest that although older women with pronated foot maintain balance similar to those without pronated foot, their delayed reaction times may hinder the ability to make quick, involuntary stepping adjustments, potentially increasing fall risks.
足内翻的老年人在维持平衡方面可能面临更大挑战，这增加了他们跌倒的风险。反应性平衡是指在意外干扰后恢复稳定的能力，是评估与跌倒相关的姿势控制的关键组成部分。评估反应性平衡可以深入了解该人群的平衡能力和潜在跌倒风险。
本研究比较了有和没有足内翻的老年女性之间的反应性平衡（重心位移和反应时间）。
32名老年女性参与了研究，其中16名双侧足内翻，16名没有足内翻。为了评估反应性平衡，进行了三维运动分析。每个参与者都配备了29个反光标记，并在向前方向进行了补偿性步幅校正。使用独立t检验比较两组之间的重心位移和反应时间。
足内翻的老年女性的反应时间明显比没有足内翻的女性慢（p = 0.017）。然而，两组之间的重心位移没有显著差异（p = 0.367）。
本研究表明，足内翻的老年女性的反应时间明显延长，表明反应性反应受损。然而，有和没有足内翻的女性在重心位移上缺乏显著差异，这表明尽管足内翻的老年女性维持平衡的能力与没有足内翻的女性相似，但她们延迟的反应时间可能会阻碍做出快速、非自主步幅调整的能力，从而可能增加跌倒风险。
