Gait and/or Balance Impairments in Geriatric Populations: An Etiological Study

Background: Elderly was applied to individuals aged 60 years and above. Falls are a significant problem because they result in substantial morbidity and mortality. Several factors increase the risk of falling in older people, such as muscle weakness, gait and balance impairment, neurological dysfunctions, and cognitive decline. This work aimed to study the gait and balance impairments in geriatrics regarding possible etiologies, clinical and radiological approach for diagnosis, as well as their effect on quality of life.

Methods: The current study was an observational cross-sectional study carried out on 60 subjects aged > 61 years and 40 subjects aged ≤60 years, who were relatives of outpatient clinic patients. Studied individuals were subjected to clinical and digital gait analysis and brain as well as cervical DTI.

Results: The age of included geriatrics was 61-79 years and 88.3% were males. There was a significant change in AADLs, the SARC-F scale, the MoCA scale, and the DGI scale in older adults. Instrumental gait assessment revealed a significant decrease in gait speed, cadence, swing phase, and stride length, and a significant increase in stride time, contact phase, and double support phase. There was a significant correlation between gait speed and age as well as the degree of sarcopenia.

Conclusion: Gait speed in the elderly had an inverse correlation with age and sarcopenia and a significant relation with diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, and sex. Sex and sarcopenia were risk factors for slow gait speed in the elderly.