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Full-Text Articles in Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering
Effects Of Age-Related Gait Changes On The Biomechanics Of Slips And Falls, Thurman E. Lockheart, Jeffrey C. Woldstad, James L. Smith
Effects Of Age-Related Gait Changes On The Biomechanics Of Slips And Falls, Thurman E. Lockheart, Jeffrey C. Woldstad, James L. Smith
Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications
A laboratory study was conducted to examine gait changes associated with aging and the effect of these changes on initiation of slips and frequency of falls utilizing newly defined biomechanical parameters of slips and falls. Twenty-eight participants from two age groups (young and old) walked around a circular track at a comfortable pace wearing a safety harness. A slippery floor surface was placed on the walking track over the force plate at random time intervals without the participants’ awareness. Synchronized kinetic and kinematic measurements were obtained on both slippery and non-slippery walking surfaces. The results indicated that older participants’ horizontal …
Assessment Of Slip Severity Among Different Age Groups, Thurmon E. Lockhart, Jeffrey C. Woldstad, James L. Smith
Assessment Of Slip Severity Among Different Age Groups, Thurmon E. Lockhart, Jeffrey C. Woldstad, James L. Smith
Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications
A laboratory study utilizing new techniques for assessing slip severity was conducted to investigate the process of inadvertent slips and falls among different age groups. Forty-two subjects from three age groups (young adults, middle-aged, and the elderly) walked on a rectangular track at a self-determined pace. Without the subjects’ awareness, a slippery floor surface was placed on the track over a force-measuring platform. The results indicated that elderly adults’ friction demand (RCOF) was not significantly different from the young and middle-aged adults. The older adults, however, fell more often than the other age groups. Fall recovery threshold (FRT) measures indicated …