Differential gait patterns by history of falls and knee pain status in healthy older adults: Results from the Baltimore longitudinal study of aging

Consideration of knee pain can be crucial for identifying fall-related gait patterns. While walking, gait parameters at usual speed were examined in persons with different falls and knee pain status. A total of 439 adults aged 60-92 years participated in this study. Persons with a history of falls had a wider stride width (p =.036) and longer double support time (p =.034) than nonfallers. In the absence of knee pain, fallers had longer double support time than nonfallers (p =.012), but no differences in double support time by history of falls were observed in participants with knee pain. With slower gait speed, fallers with knee pain have narrower stride width and larger hip range of motion (p =.027 and p =.001, respectively). Results suggest the importance of considering knee pain in fall studies for better understanding the fall-related differential gait mechanisms and for designing fall prevention intervention strategies.