The impacts of painful vertebral degenerative disease on balance performance of elderly subjects

• Main Authors: Ying-Po Hsu, 許應勃
• Other Authors: Jin-Jong Chen
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/5dyxr5

碩士 === 國立陽明大學 === 物理治療暨輔助科技學系 === 97 === PURPOSE: Significant impacts of painful vertebral degenerative disease (PVDD) on the elderly subjects’ physical function have been noted. But only few studies conducted to evaluate patients’ balance capacity due to severe intolerable pain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impacts of PVDD on balance performance and transitional movements. METHODS: Thirty- five elderly subjects (69.5±7.1 years) from an orthopedic clinic with PVDD were examined before the surgery. Thirty age-matched community healthy elderly dwellers (72.5±5.4 years) were included in this study as control group volunteers (CG). The following measurements were conducted: (1) dynamic balance tests: functional reach (FR), and 3m Timed-Up and Go (TUG), and (2) static balance tests: open eye with arms rest and close eye with arms lift under sitting and standing posture. Sit-to-stand performance tests were conducted using a force plate to measure the maximum ground reaction force (MGRF) and time course from start to MGRF. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that PVDD group subjects had significant poor dynamic balance performance than the CG subjects, lower FR (20.8±6.9cm vs. 28.9±4.5cm, p<0.001) and slower TUG (14.99±8.79s vs. 10.20±2.06s, p<0.05). PVDD subjects demonstrated significant lower center of pressure (COP) velocity of postural control than control group during four static balance tests and poor sit-to-stand performance than the CG subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Due to insufficiency of proprioception and co-contraction on the PVDD’s lumbar spine, PVDD subjects showed poor dynamic, static balance and poor performance of sit to stand test.