BackgroundIn elderly individuals an increased muscle strength contributes to the diminution of the falls risk and associated adverse events. An increasing interest in lateral control exists due to the fatal consequences of postero-lateral falls. Therefore a proper assessment of frontal plane hip muscle strength in elderly is important but remains challenging.Therefore we aimed to investigate the feasibility and repeatability of a hip abductor and adductor maximum voluntary isometric strength (MVIS) and rate of force generation (RFG) test in elderly. This represents an initial step in the development process of a new and clinically relevant test that could lead to more specific treatment protocols for this population.MethodsIn this measurement focused study hip abduction (ABD) and adduction (ADD) MVIS and RFG were tested twice within one to three hours with a dynamometer fixed to a custom made frame in a geriatric population including fallers and non-fallers. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICCagreement), standard error of measurement (SEM), and smallest detectable difference (SDD) were determined.ResultsAll recruited persons (N = 76; mean age (SD) 80.46 (7.05) years old) completed the tests. The average time needed to complete the strength tests was 10.58 min. (1.56) per muscle group. The reliability of the hip ABD and ADD was high with ICC’sagreement ranging from 0.83 to 0.97. The SDD varied between 18.1 and 81.8% depending on the muscle group and type of strength that was evaluated.ConclusionHip abductor and adductor strength measures in older person are feasible and reliable. However, the significance of moderate changes in these measurements may be limited by the large SDD and SEM. Therefore, physical therapist should be careful when using this measure for assessing the progress of an individual person in a daily clinical use.

BackgroundHip muscle weakness in older people seems to be an influencing factor of falls. Currently, it is unclear which muscles out of the hip muscle group play an important role in older people. A validating process in the measurement regarding muscle strength related to falls is necessary before answering that question.ObjectiveFirstly, we aimed to investigate which hip muscle group strength shows an acceptable level of distinction between older adult fallers and non-fallers compared to a predefined external criterion regarding falling. Secondly, we aimed to compare the same outcomes and questions for hand-grip strength in relation to the same external criterion.DesignThis study was a cross-sectional validity study.MethodsThe maximum voluntary isometric strength (MVIS) and the rate of force generation of hip abductors (ABD), adductors, internal and external rotators, extensors, and flexors were measured with a dynamometer fixed to a custom-made frame as well as hand-grip strength with a Martin Vigorimeter in 60 older people aged over 65 years (38 females and 22 males).ResultsThe area under the curve (AUC) and the results of the mean decrease in Gini index assessed by random forest approach show that of all the assessed parameters, hip ABD MVIS showed the highest discriminative value regarding the chosen external criterion in older people (AUC ABD MVIS 0.825, 95% confidence interval: 0.712–0.938).ConclusionResults indicate that ABD MVIS is a useful measure to distinguish between older adult fallers and non-fallers regarding the chosen external criterion.

Diminished hip abductor strength decreases postural control which is a parameter that is associated with an increased risk of ankle sprains. In our study we evaluated the influence of hip abductor fatigue on sagittal plane ankle kinematics and shank muscle activity during a single-leg forward jump. Sagittal ankle plane kinematics are important in ankle sprains but less studied than frontal plane kinematics. Therefore, we evaluated differences in sagittal ankle kinematics (12-camera motion capture system) and lower limb surface electromyographic muscle activity in 20 healthy, recreationally active adults (9 females, 11 males, mean age 30.3 SD 4.0 years, mean BMI 23.6 SD 2.8 kg/m) before and after a hip abductor fatigue protocol (200-ms prior, at and in the 250-ms following initial contact (IC)). After fatigue, the maximal ankle plantar-flexion angle decreased prior to IC (median 3.8° [interquartile range 0.1, 7.2], p = 0.014), at IC (4.1° [-0.3, 5.0], p = 0.027) and post IC (4.1° [-1.3, 5.0] p = 0.036). Gastrocnemius activity onset was delayed (-28.0 ms [-44.0, 0.0], p < 0.01). Average activity of the tibialis anterior increased prior to IC (pre-fatigue 19.32% [14.89, 33.45], post-fatigue 28.95% [18.49, 34.81], p < 0.05). Hip-abductor fatigue influenced sagittal ankle kinematics and shank muscle activity during single-leg landings.

Background/Objectives Early detection of fall risk is crucial for targeted fall prevention and rehabilitation. This systematic review facilitates decision-making concerning the optimal choice for a suitable fall risk assessment test for older persons in four different settings. This systematic review provides an overview of reliability and diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity [SE], specificity, likelihood ratios, and post-test probabilities) of commonly used performance measures to assess older persons’ fall risk. Methods Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts, and full texts of all articles identified through a systematic search on the PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases. The methodological quality was critically appraised using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool and the COSMIN risk of bias tool. Due to a setting-dependent fall risk, four relevant settings were selected for the analyses: 1) community dwelling, 2) nursing home, 3) hospital, and 4) the combined setting of hospitalized and community-dwelling persons. Results Recommendations for diagnostic accuracy can be made for the specific settings: setting 1) mini-balance evaluation system test, timed up and go test with fast speed (TUG FAST), cognitive TUG FAST, functional reach test, and fast gait speed; 2) TUG at usual speed; 3) none of the included tests; and 4) some hip muscle strength and hand grip strength tests might be recommended. Conclusion The review’s results are applicable for use in clinical practice, both on a population and on an individual level for patients and caregivers. Most measures’ reliability is sufficient. However, the included tests’ discriminative ability is not optimal for clinical use in relevant settings. The low sample sizes of most of the included studies and a limited amount of studies in all but the community-dwelling setting hinder us from making strong recommendations.