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Aim To clarify the age‐related changes in muscle elasticity or thickness of the lower extremities in older women, and to analyze their relationship with physical functions. Methods The muscle elasticity and thickness of the rectus femoris and medial head of the gastrocnemius of 102 young women (young group) and 221 elderly women (elderly group) were measured using ultrasonography. In the elderly group, physical functions, including knee extension strength, Timed Up and Go test, single‐leg standing, maximum gait speed and Four Square Step Test were also measured. Results The elasticity of the rectus femoris and medial head of the gastrocnemius were significantly higher, but the muscle thickness of both muscles was significantly lower in the elderly group than in the young group (both P < 0.001). In the elderly group, the elasticity of the rectus femoris was significantly correlated with Timed Up and Go test, maximum gait speed and Four Square Step Test (ρ = 0.481, r = −0.387 and ρ = 0.401, respectively, all P < 0.001), and the medial head of the gastrocnemius was similar (ρ = 0.471, r = −0.489 and ρ = 0.422, respectively, all P < 0.001). The muscle thickness of the rectus femoris was significantly associated with knee extension strength (r = 0.444, P < 0.001). Conclusions Older women showed age‐related changes in high elasticity and atrophy of the rectus femoris and medial head of the gastrocnemius. The high elasticity of both muscles, not muscle thickness, was associated with dynamic balance and walking ability. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 61–65.

[Purpose] To improve walking efficiency could be useful for reducing fatigue and extending possible period of walking in children with cerebral palsy (CP). For this purpose, current study compared conventional parameters of gross motor performance, step length, and cadence in the evaluation of walking efficiency in children with CP. [Subjects and Methods] Thirty-one children with CP (21 boys, 10 girls; mean age, 12.3 ± 2.7 years) participated. Parameters of gross motor performance, including the maximum step length (MSL), maximum side step length, step number, lateral step up number, and single leg standing time, were measured in both dominant and non-dominant sides. Spatio-temporal parameters of walking, including speed, step length, and cadence, were calculated. Total heart beat index (THBI), a parameter of walking efficiency, was also calculated from heartbeats and walking distance in 10 minutes of walking. To analyze the relationships between these parameters and the THBI, the coefficients of determination were calculated using stepwise analysis. [Results] The MSL of the dominant side best accounted for the THBI (R2=0.759). [Conclusion] The MSL of the dominant side was the best explanatory parameter for walking efficiency in children with CP.

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The purpose of this study was to validate a method for analyzing gait patterns determined by the center of mass (CoM) using an accelerometer. [Subjects and Methods] A tri-axial accelerometer was attached to the lower back of 11 healthy young males. Vertical and lateral CoM displacement were assessed using the accelerometer and a 3D motion capture system under 8 different walking conditions. The validity of the accelerometer-based CoM was evaluated by comparison with the motion capture-based CoM using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman analysis. [Results] ICCs corresponding to inter-rater reliability were good-to-excellent for vertical CoM displacement (0.73-0.94) and fair-to-good for lateral CoM displacement (0.31-0.71). However, Bland-Altman analysis revealed systematic bias, in which accelerometer-based CoM was overestimated. [Conclusion] The motion of the CoM measured by this accelerometer fixed to the trunk can be used for simplified analysis of human locomotion. The results demonstrate the great potential in clinical practice of accelerometry as a user-friendly, cost-effective and valid gait analysis tool.

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