Muscle function during gait is invariant to age when walking speed is controlled

Older adults walk more slowly, take shorter steps, and spend more time with both legs on the ground compared to young adults. Although many studies have investigated the effects of aging on the kinematics and kinetics of gait, little is known about the corresponding changes in muscle function. The aim of this study was to describe and compare the actions of the lower-limb muscles in accelerating the body's center of mass (COM) in healthy young and older adults. Three-dimensional gait analysis and subject-specific musculoskeletal modeling were used to calculate lower-limb muscle forces and muscle contributions to COM accelerations when both groups walked at the same speed. The orientations of all body segments during walking, except that of the pelvis, were invariant to age when these quantities were expressed in a global reference frame. The older subjects tilted their pelves more anteriorly during the stance phase. The mean contributions of the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, vasti, gastrocnemius and soleus to the vertical, fore-aft and mediolateral COM accelerations (support, progression and balance, respectively) were similar in the two groups. However, the gluteus medius contributed significantly less to support (p < 0.05) while the gluteus maximus and contralateral erector spinae contributed significantly more to balance (p < 0.05) during early stance in the older subjects. These results provide insight into the functional roles of the individual leg muscles during gait in older adults, and highlight the importance of the hip and back muscles in controlling mediolateral balance.

► We evaluated lower-limb muscle function during walking in young and older adults. ► Gait analysis and musculoskeletal modeling were used to calculate leg-muscle forces. ► Pelvic tilt was increased in the older adults during the stance phase of gait. ► Muscle contributions to center-of-mass accelerations were similar in the two groups. ► The hip and back muscles contributed more to lateral balance in the older adults.