Kinematics of Turning 180° During the Timed Up and Go in Stroke Survivors With and Without Falls History

Abstract

Background. Community-dwelling, chronic stroke survivors are at risk of falling during turning and are more likely to sustain a hip fracture when they fall. Objective. This study quantifies kinematic differences between stroke survivors (mean ± SD: 38.3 ± 31.3 months poststroke, 59.9 ± 10.1 years of age), with (n = 9) and without a falls history (n = 9), and age-matched healthy counterparts (n = 18) in turning coordination during the 180° turn around in the Timed “Up & Go„ (TUG) test. Methods. Full-body kinematics were recorded while participants performed the 180° turn around in the TUG. Dependent measures were time to turn, number of steps to turn, and measures of axial segment coordination. Result. Although participants who had a stroke and falls history took significantly longer to turn (mean ± SD: 4.4 ± 1.7 seconds) than age-matched controls (2.5 ± 0.6 seconds), no kinematic differences were found in performance or in the axial segment coordination during turning that could contribute to falls history or falls risk. Conclusions. These results indicate incidences of falls during turning following stroke may not be due to impaired movement patterns but due to the many other factors that are associated with falls, such as deficits in cognitive processes—attention or central integration—and/or sensory deficits.