TY - GEN
T1 - Estimating Trunk and Neck Stabilization for Avoiding Head Impact during Real-World Falls in Older Adults
AU - Kuo, Calvin
AU - Shishov, Nataliya
AU - Elabd, Karam
AU - Komisar, Vicki
AU - Chong, Helen
AU - Phu, Tamara
AU - Anderson, Lyndsey
AU - Hoshizaki, Blaine
AU - Laing, Andrew
AU - Cripton, Peter
AU - Robinovitch, Stephen
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 IEEE.
PY - 2020/7/1
Y1 - 2020/7/1
N2 - In this work, we quantify the neck's involvement in stabilizing the head during falls in older adults to avoid head impacts. We tracked kinematics of 12 real-world backward falls in long-term care captured on video, where head impact was avoided. We estimated dynamic spring-dashpot parameters of the neck and hip representing active muscle activity and passive tissue structures. Neck stiffness, damping, and target posture averaged 24.00±6.17Nm/rad, 0.38±0.16Nms/rad, and 76.2±14.7° flexion respectively. The stiffness and target posture suggest that residents actively contracted their neck muscles to maintain the head upright. Our results shed light on the importance of neck strength for avoiding head impact during a fall.Clinical Relevance - Falls account for 80% of traumatic brain injuries in adults 65+ years. While upper limb bracing can reduce the risk of head impacts during a fall in young adults, this protective response is less effective in older adults living in longterm care. Understanding how the neck and torso musculature are used to avoid head impact can guide the design of therapeutic exercise programs and assistive or protective devices.
AB - In this work, we quantify the neck's involvement in stabilizing the head during falls in older adults to avoid head impacts. We tracked kinematics of 12 real-world backward falls in long-term care captured on video, where head impact was avoided. We estimated dynamic spring-dashpot parameters of the neck and hip representing active muscle activity and passive tissue structures. Neck stiffness, damping, and target posture averaged 24.00±6.17Nm/rad, 0.38±0.16Nms/rad, and 76.2±14.7° flexion respectively. The stiffness and target posture suggest that residents actively contracted their neck muscles to maintain the head upright. Our results shed light on the importance of neck strength for avoiding head impact during a fall.Clinical Relevance - Falls account for 80% of traumatic brain injuries in adults 65+ years. While upper limb bracing can reduce the risk of head impacts during a fall in young adults, this protective response is less effective in older adults living in longterm care. Understanding how the neck and torso musculature are used to avoid head impact can guide the design of therapeutic exercise programs and assistive or protective devices.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85091017645
U2 - 10.1109/EMBC44109.2020.9176257
DO - 10.1109/EMBC44109.2020.9176257
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85091017645
T3 - Proceedings of the Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, EMBS
SP - 4823
EP - 4826
BT - 42nd Annual International Conferences of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society
PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
T2 - 42nd Annual International Conferences of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, EMBC 2020
Y2 - 20 July 2020 through 24 July 2020
ER -