Trip-Related Falls by Older Adults
Our efforts to reduce fall-related injuries to older adults were initiated in the late-1980s ( Grabiner and Jahnigen, 1992). Since then, steady advances have led to the present proposal to test the effectiveness of an intervention to reduce falls by older adults in the community. Our most recent work has supported the efficacy of the intervention.
Videos: the following videos show how we induce trips in the laboratory and examples of different fall-mechanisms. For the descritpitions of the mechanisms please refer to Pavol et al., (1999).
Bibliography of Trip- Related Research
Grabiner MD, Donovan S, Bareither ML, Marone JR, Hamstra-Wright K, Gatts S, Troy KL: Trunk kinematics and fall risk of older adults: Translating biomechanical results to the clinic, Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, in press. (PDF)
Troy KL, Grabiner MD: Asymmetrical ground impact of the hands after a trip-induced fall: experimental kinematics and kinetics, Clinical Biomechanics, in press.
Grabiner MD, Owings TM, Pavol MJ, Lower extremity strength plays only a small role in determining the maximum recoverable lean angle in older adults, Journal of Gerontology, Medical Science,60A:1447-1450, 2005. (PDF)
Troy K, Grabiner MD: Absence of visual feedback about an obstacle influences lower extremity trajectories during the recovery stepping response. Experimental Brain Research, 161:343-350, 2005. (PDF)
Pavol MJ, Owings TM, Foley KT, Grabiner MD: Influence of lower extremity strength of healthy older adults on the outcome of an induced trip. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 50:256-262, 2002. (PDF)
van den Bogert AJ, Pavol MJ Grabiner MD: Response time is more important than walking speed for the ability of older adults to avoid a fall after a trip. Journal of Biomechanics, 35:199-205, 2002. PDF
Owings TM, Pavol MJ, Grabiner MD: Mechanisms of failed recovery following postural perturbations on a motorized treadmill mimic those associated with an actual forward trip, Clinical Biomechanics, 16:813-819, 2001. PDF
Pavol MJ, Owings TM, Foley KT, Grabiner MD: Mechanisms leading to a fall from an induced trip in healthy older adults. Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, 56A:M428-M437, 2001. PDF
Owings TM, Pavol MJ, Foley KT, Grabiner MD: Measures of postural stability are not predictors of recovery from large postural disturbances in healthy older adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 48:42-50, 2000. (PDF)
Pavol MJ, Owings TM, Foley KT, Grabiner MD: Gait characteristics as risk factors for falling from trips induced in older subjects. Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, 54A:M583-M591, 1999. (PDF)
Pavol MJ, Owings TM, Foley KT, Grabiner MD: The sex and age of older adults influence the outcome of induced trips. Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, 54A:M103-M108, 1999. (PDF)
Grabiner MD, Feuerbach JW, Jahnigen DW: Successful recovery from a trip: Control of the trunk during the initial phase following perturbation. Journal of Biomechanics, 29:735-744, 1996. (PDF)
Grabiner MD, Koh TJ, Lundin T, Jahnigen DW: Kinematics of recovery from a stumble, Journal of Gerontology, 48:M97-M102, 1993 (PDF)