Changes in plantar pressure and spatiotemporal parameters during gait in older adults after two different training programs

• Published in: Gait & posture 2020-03, Vol.77 (NA), p.250-256
• Main Authors: Sanchis-Sanchis, Roberto, Blasco-Lafarga, Cristina, Encarnación-Martínez, Alberto, Pérez-Soriano, Pedro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Elderly; Exercise; Foot; Instrumented insole; Walking
• ISSN: 0966-6362; 1879-2219
• DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2020.01.015

•Multicomponent program reduces maximum pressure in dominant leg.•Interval-walking program increases both maximum and mean maximum pressure.•Both training programs reduce pressure-time integral in whole plantar area in both legs.•Interval-walking program reduces both stride and stance time.•We suggest introducing multicomponent training prior walking-based in older adults. Improving gait is in exercise programs for older adults (OAs) but little is known about how different gait-training approaches affect spatiotemporal parameters and plantar pressure distributions in OAs. High plantar pressures are linked to tissue injury risk, ulceration, and pain in OAs, but no studies have yet compared how they affect podobarometric variables. The effect of changing plantar pressure on absolute and mean maximum pressure, the pressure-time integral, stride time, stance time, and gait speed in OAs following either a multicomponent training program (EG) or interval-walking training (WG). Comfortable gait speed, strength (seat-to-stand test), and plantar pressure (Pedar-X mobile in-shoe system), were evaluated in 23 OAs (EG: n = 12, 7 female, 71.58 ± 4.56 years; WG: n = 11, 6 female, 69.64 ± 3.56 years), by dividing the plantar area into 9 regions. After 14 weeks, the maximum pressure in medial and central metatarsus areas in the dominant leg were reduced in the EG (p = 0.01 &p = 0.04, respectively), but increased in the non-dominant leg lateral heel in the WG (p = 0.03). The mean maximum pressure also increased in the WG in medial heel in the dominant leg (p = 0.02) and lateral heel in the non-dominant leg (p = 0.03). The overall pressure-time integral reduced in the whole plantar area in both legs in both groups. WG reduced stride time (dominant: p = 0.01; non-dominant: p = 0.01) and stance time (dominant: p