Functional reach: a new clinical measure of balance

Article Abstract:

As people age, their ability to maintain their equilibrium declines, and falls are a hazard. It is important to be able to assess a person's balance and to be able to predict the likelihood of a fall. Some measures of balance, such as standing on one foot or tandem walking, are difficult even for unimpaired individuals. The most sensitive dynamic balance tests require expensive and sophisticated equipment, which limits their usefulness. This new measure, functional reach (FR), is designed to measure the margin of stability, similar to the center of posture excursion (COPE) test. FR is the maximum distance one can reach forward beyond arms' length, while keeping the feet in one spot. It is easier to perform than COPE and does not require expensive equipment. To determine how well FR measures balance, 128 volunteers from 20 to 87 years of age were tested. There was a high correlation between the results of FR and COPE, although the two do not measure the same thing. Height and age are the two factors that affect reach the most. When height is adjusted for, males had a very slightly shorter reach than females. Functional reach is not useful for patients who are mentally or physically impaired. Also, it is limited to measuring balance as the subject leans forward and back, and does not measure the propensity to fall sideways. Three-dimensional mapping is possible, but would probably not add enough information to be worth the increased complexity of analysis. Functional reach may have predictive value, identifying those most at risk of falls, or it may constitute a measure of change in equilibrium in a patient over time. It can also be used in environmental design to accommodate the limitations of the elderly. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Aging, Measurement, Risk factors, Environmental aspects, Falls (Accidents), Accidental falls, Equilibrium (Physiology), Man

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Joint impairment and self-reported disability in elderly persons

Article Abstract:

A WHO multivariate model on determinants of disability and impairment was adapted to study the impact of joint impairment, comorbidities and psychological status of 541 elderly persons on their functional disability. Results showed that joint impairment influenced variance in disability significantly. Joint impairment alone accounted for 15% of the variance in overall disability while consideration of other morbidities increased the amount of variance to only 18%. Thus, musculoskeletal conditons whether self-reported or detected through physical examination, explain a significant extent of functional disability in elderly persons.

Health aspects, Research, Joint diseases, Disability, Disabilities

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