Comparison of biomechanics platform measures of balance and videotaped measures of gait with a clinical mobility scale in elderly women

Performance on the clinical mobility index developed by Tinetti (9) was compared with biomechanics platform measures of sway and videotaped measures of gait in a sample of 43 community-dwelling aged women. Area measures of sway, but not velocity, were associated with performance on the mobility index. When standing on one leg with eyes open, the correlation coefficients for radial area per second with the mobility indices ranged from -0.59 to -0.64 (p < .001). Knee range of motion and stride length correlated with performance on the mobility index. Knee range of motion correlation coefficients ranged from 0.47 to 0.54 (p < .001), whereas the range was 0.62 to 0.68 (p < .001) for stride length. These data demonstrate that biomechanics platform measures of sway and videotaped measures of gait are associated with subject performance on a clinical mobility index and may themselves also be predictive of persons susceptible to falling.