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Fall Risk in Adults Over 65: The Relevance of Morphological and Functional Lower Limb Asymmetries. (ASY&FALL)

29 de julho de 2026 atualizado por: I.R.C.C.S Ospedale Galeazzi-Sant'Ambrogio

Fall-risk Prevention in Adults Over 65: the Relevance of Morphological and Functional Asymmetries of the Lower Limbs.

Falls among older adults represent a major public health burden. Approximately 30% of individuals aged 65 and older experience at least one fall each year. These events can lead not only to increased anxiety, depression, and reduced quality of life but also to serious injuries or even death. Key risk factors include muscle weakness, gait disturbances, and balance impairments. Lower limb asymmetry-referring to differences in strength, flexibility, composition, or functional capacity between the two legs-has emerged as a potentially important yet underexplored contributor to fall risk in the elderly population. While asymmetry is frequently studied in the context of sports and physical performance, where it may affect both injury risk and athletic outcomes, its implications for balance and mobility in older adults remain insufficiently investigated. This study aims to examine the relationship between lower limb asymmetries and fall risk, with the goal of identifying predictive indicators and informing the development of more effective fall prevention strategies. Ultimately, a better understanding of this relationship could contribute to improved quality of life for older adults and a reduction in healthcare costs associated with fall-related hospitalizations.

Visão geral do estudo

Status

Recrutamento

Condições

Tipo de estudo

Observacional

Inscrição (Estimado)

Contactos e Locais

Esta seção fornece os detalhes de contato para aqueles que conduzem o estudo e informações sobre onde este estudo está sendo realizado.

Locais de estudo

Itália
- Milan
  - Milan, Milan, Itália
    - Recrutamento
    - IRCCS Ospedale Galeazzi-Sant'Ambrogio
    - Contato:
      
      Stefano Borghi, Md
      
      Número de telefone: 0283502246
      
      E-mail: stefano.borghi@grupposandonato.it

Critérios de participação

Os pesquisadores procuram pessoas que se encaixem em uma determinada descrição, chamada de critérios de elegibilidade. Alguns exemplos desses critérios são a condição geral de saúde de uma pessoa ou tratamentos anteriores.

Critérios de elegibilidade

Idades elegíveis para estudo

Adulto mais velho

Aceita Voluntários Saudáveis

Sim

Método de amostragem

Amostra Não Probabilística

População do estudo

Men and women between the ages of 65 yr, able to walk without assistance, lived independently, and had no major cardiovascular, muscular, skeletal or neurological conditions participated in the study.

Descrição

Inclusion Criteria:

Male or female, of any ethnicity.
Age ≥ 65 years.
Cognitively intact.
Independent ambulation.
Signed and accepted informed consent to participate in all procedures required for the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

Previous surgical treatments for orthopedic conditions performed within the six months prior to study inclusion.
Severe cardiac, pulmonary, or musculoskeletal disorders that may influence the assessment outcomes.
Comorbidities associated with increased fall risk, such as Parkinson's disease or stroke.
Body Mass Index ≥ 30.0.
Use of medications that affect motor coordination, balance, or bone and muscle metabolism.
Active oncological disease.

Plano de estudo

Esta seção fornece detalhes do plano de estudo, incluindo como o estudo é projetado e o que o estudo está medindo.

Como o estudo é projetado?

Detalhes do projeto

O que o estudo está medindo?

Medidas de resultados primários

Medida de resultado	Descrição da medida	Prazo
Timed Up and Go (TUG) test Prazo: At baseline	A functional mobility test measuring dynamic balance and gait efficiency. Participants stand up from a chair, walk 3 meters, turn, return, and sit; longer times indicate higher fall risk.	At baseline
5-Repetition Sit-to-Stand Test (5-rep STS) Prazo: At baseline	A lower-limb strength and functional performance test. Participants rise from a chair five times as quickly as possible; slower performance reflects reduced strength and increased fall risk.	At baseline
Balance test Prazo: At baseline	balance assessment is conducted using Baiobit equipment from BTS Bioengineering. The maximal balance time in monopodalic will be considered (s)	At baseline

Medidas de resultados secundários

Medida de resultado	Descrição da medida	Prazo
Response time assessment Prazo: At baseline	A visual reaction-time assessment using programmable light pods. Participants respond as quickly as possible to randomly illuminated targets by tapping them, allowing measurement of response time, decision speed, and stimulus-reaction efficiency. Shorter reaction times indicate better neuromotor responsiveness, while longer delays may reflect reduced processing speed and increased fall-risk vulnerability.	At baseline
Gait Analysis Prazo: At baseline	A biomechanical assessment of walking performance using motion-capture technology. Spatiotemporal parameters (e.g., step length, gait speed, foot clearance) are recorded to evaluate dynamic stability, movement symmetry, and functional mobility, providing objective indicators associated with fall risk in older adults.	At baseline
Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) Prazo: At baseline	A self-reported measure of habitual physical activity. It quantifies weekly frequency and duration of walking, moderate activity, and vigorous activity, providing an estimate of overall activity level relevant to mobility and fall risk.	At baseline
Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I) Prazo: At baseline	A validated questionnaire assessing fear of falling and confidence in performing daily activities. Higher scores indicate greater concern about falling, which is associated with reduced mobility and increased fall risk.	At baseline
SARC-F questionnaire Prazo: At baseline	A screening tool for sarcopenia evaluating strength, assistance in walking, rising from a chair, climbing stairs, and fall history. Higher scores reflect impaired physical function and greater vulnerability to falls.	At baseline
fall risk questionnaire (FRQ) Prazo: At baseline	"The Fall Risk Questionnaire (FRQ) is a validated self-assessment tool. It has demonstrated good ability to identify older adults at risk of falling and to increase awareness of fall risk within this population.	At baseline
Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) Prazo: At baseline	Gold-standard method for assessing body composition. By using two X-ray energy levels, DEXA provides detailed information on bone mineral content, lean mass, and fat mass.	At baseline
Strength Assessment Prazo: At baseline	Bilateral knee and ankle flexor and extensor strength is assessed using a pressure-based dynamometer. The protocol includes the measurement of Maximum Voluntary Contraction (MVC, N). All force signals are sampled at high frequency and processed through filtering and normalization procedures to ensure accurate extraction of mechanical parameters.	At baseline
Power assessment Prazo: At baseline	Bilateral knee and ankle flexor and extensor power is assessed using a pressure-based dynamometer. The protocol includes the measurement of Rate of Force Development (RFD, kg/s through standardized isometric contractions. All force signals are sampled at high frequency and processed through filtering and normalization procedures to ensure accurate extraction of mechanical parameters.	At baseline
High-Density Surface electromyography Assessment (HD-sEMG) Prazo: At baseline	Neuromuscular activity of the knee and ankle flexor and extensor are evaluated using high-density surface electromyography (HD-sEMG) with the Sessantaquattro+ system (OTBioelettronica). The electrode matrices allow spatially detailed mapping of muscle activation. EMG signals undergo preprocessing including filtering, artifact removal, and time-alignment with strength trials to provide an integrated characterization of neuromuscular function.	At baseline
Dominance test (Step-Up Test) Prazo: At baseline	This test identifies lower-limb dominance by observing which limb the participant naturally uses first when stepping onto a raised platform.	At baseline
Dominance test (Kicking Test) Prazo: At baseline	This test determines limb dominance based on the leg used to kick a ball or target. The dominant lower limb is the one the participant naturally selects for kicking.	At baseline
Dominance test (Balance Recovery Test) Prazo: At baseline	This test identifies dominance by evaluating which limb the participant relies on to regain stability after a perturbation. The dominant limb is typically the one that steps first when balance is unexpectedly challenged.	At baseline

Colaboradores e Investigadores

É aqui que você encontrará pessoas e organizações envolvidas com este estudo.

Patrocinador

I.R.C.C.S Ospedale Galeazzi-Sant'Ambrogio

Datas de registro do estudo

Essas datas acompanham o progresso do registro do estudo e os envios de resumo dos resultados para ClinicalTrials.gov. Os registros do estudo e os resultados relatados são revisados pela National Library of Medicine (NLM) para garantir que atendam aos padrões específicos de controle de qualidade antes de serem publicados no site público.

Datas Principais do Estudo

Início do estudo (Real)

3 de fevereiro de 2026

Conclusão Primária (Estimado)

1 de junho de 2027

Conclusão do estudo (Estimado)

1 de abril de 2028

Datas de inscrição no estudo

Enviado pela primeira vez

3 de julho de 2026

Enviado pela primeira vez que atendeu aos critérios de CQ

29 de julho de 2026

Primeira postagem (Real)

3 de agosto de 2026

Atualizações de registro de estudo

Última Atualização Postada (Real)