Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012 Apr;45(4):578-85.
doi: 10.1002/mus.22325.

Frontal plane hip and ankle sensorimotor function, not age, predicts unipedal stance time

Lara Allet  1 , Hogene Kim, James Ashton-Miller, Trina De Mott, James K Richardson
Affiliations

Frontal plane hip and ankle sensorimotor function, not age, predicts unipedal stance time

Lara Allet et al. Muscle Nerve. 2012 Apr.

Abstract

Introduction: Changes occur in muscles and nerves with aging. In this study we explore the relationship between unipedal stance time (UST) and frontal plane hip and ankle sensorimotor function in subjects with diabetic neuropathy.

Methods: UST, quantitative measures of frontal plane ankle proprioceptive thresholds, and ankle and hip motor function were tested in 41 subjects with a spectrum of lower limb sensorimotor function ranging from healthy to moderately severe diabetic neuropathy.

Results: Frontal plane hip and ankle sensorimotor function demonstrated significant relationships with UST. Multivariate analysis identified only composite hip strength, ankle proprioceptive threshold, and age to be significant predictors of UST (R(2) = 0.73), explaining 46%, 24%, and 3% of the variance, respectively.

Conclusions: Frontal plane hip strength was the single best predictor of UST and appeared to compensate for less precise ankle proprioceptive thresholds. This finding is clinically relevant given the possibility of strengthening the hip, even in patients with significant peripheral neuropathy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Scatterplots illustrating the relationship of the hip strength/proprioception ratio to UST. The equation for the curvilinear regression is y=0.0098e0.067x
Figure 2
Figure 2
Figure 2A, B. Hip strength and ankle proprioception in patients with shorter, respectively longer UST’s than anticipated. A comparison of A) hip strength B) ankle proprioceptive thresholds in subjects who demonstrated shorter (left) and longer (right) USTs than would be anticipated based on their ankle proprioceptive threshold and age. Hip strength=calculated as the mean of the mean peak abduction and adduction maximal voluntary contractions (N.m./N.m.). UST=Unipedal Stance Time. Proprioceptive threshold=smallest rotational displacement of the ankle that a subject could reliably detect with 100% accuracy.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Figure 2A, B. Hip strength and ankle proprioception in patients with shorter, respectively longer UST’s than anticipated. A comparison of A) hip strength B) ankle proprioceptive thresholds in subjects who demonstrated shorter (left) and longer (right) USTs than would be anticipated based on their ankle proprioceptive threshold and age. Hip strength=calculated as the mean of the mean peak abduction and adduction maximal voluntary contractions (N.m./N.m.). UST=Unipedal Stance Time. Proprioceptive threshold=smallest rotational displacement of the ankle that a subject could reliably detect with 100% accuracy.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Narici MV, Maganaris C, Reeves N. Myotendinous alterations and effects of resistive loading in old age. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2005;15(6):392–401. - PubMed
    1. Barry BK, Carson RG. The consequences of resistance training for movement control in older adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2004;59(7):730–754. - PubMed
    1. Kanade RV, Van Deursen RW, Harding KG, Price PE. Investigation of standing balance in patients with diabetic neuropathy at different stages of foot complications. Clin Biomech. 2008;23(9):1183–1191. - PubMed
    1. Turcot K, Allet L, Golay A, Hoffmeyer P, Armand S. Investigation of standing balance in diabetic patients with and without peripheral neuropathy using accelerometers. Clin Biomech. 2009;24(9):716–721. - PubMed
    1. Son J, Ashton-Miller JA, Richardson JK. Frontal plane ankle proprioceptive thresholds and unipedal balance. Muscle Nerve. 2009;39(2):150–157. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms