Predicting Fall Risk: ITUG Points to Turn Duration

Megan Sawatsky, MPT student Class of 2013 at the University of Saskatchewan, and her student research group were awarded first place in the People’s Choice Award at CPA’s national congress, for their poster entitled: Predicting Fall Risk: iTUG Points to Turn Duration.

Predicting Fall Risk: ITUG Points to Turn Duration

Authors: Erickson M, Fehr R, Mack K, Sawatsky M, Tennant B, Magill S, Schafer J, Wilson K, Basran J, Webber S, Arnold C.

Purpose: To compare gait parameters between fallers and non-fallers in a community-living older adult population using wireless sensory technology during a 7 meter Instrumented Timed Up and Go Test (ITUG).

Methods: Thirty seven ambulatory participants (13 male, 24 female) ages 70-95 (m=81.2, SD 5.7 years) were recruited from a senior residence and a geriatric day program for our cross-sectional study. Demographic/fall history data and 3 trials of the 7 meter TUG using the ITUG – 6 Opal Configuration (APDM Inc.) were collected on one occasion.

Results: Turn duration was significantly longer for fallers (p = .021). Although there was a trend for fallers to have greater total time, shorter stride, decreased velocity and cadence, increased double support as a percentage of the total gait cycle, and increased arm swing asymmetry, these differences were not significant.

Conclusion: We found that turn duration in a 7- meter TUG test, using the ITUG, is a significant parameter for fall risk in older adults.

Learn more about the TUG test here.