PM&R
Volume 1, Issue 10 , Pages 916-924, October 2009

Trunk Muscle Attributes Are Associated With Balance and Mobility in Older Adults: A Pilot Study

Aspects of this study were presented at the 2008 Annual Assembly of the American Geriatrics Society in Washington, DC.

  • Pradeep Suri, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of PM&R, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston, MA; Division of Research, New England Baptist Hospital, 125 Parker Hill Ave., Boston, MA 02130; and VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA‡
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence to: P.S.
    • ,
  • Dan K. Kiely, MPH, MA

      Affiliations

    • Hebrew SeniorLife, Boston, MA§
    • ,
  • Suzanne G. Leveille, PhD, RN

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
    • ,
  • Walter R. Frontera, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of PM&R, Harvard Medical School and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston, MA; and University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico∥
    • ,
  • Jonathan F. Bean, MD, MS, MPH

      Affiliations

    • Department of PM&R, Harvard Medical School Spaulding Cambridge Outpatient Center, Cambridge, MA#
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence to: J.F.B.

Received 28 April 2009; accepted 17 September 2009.

Objective

To determine whether trunk muscle attributes are associated with balance and mobility performance among mobility-limited older adults.

Design

Cross-sectional analysis of data from a randomized clinical trial.

Setting

Outpatient rehabilitation research center.

Participants

Community-dwelling older adults (N = 70; mean age 75.9 years) with mobility limitations as defined by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB).

Methods

Independent variables included physiologic measures of trunk extension strength, trunk flexion strength, trunk extension endurance, trunk extension endurance, and leg press strength. All measures were well tolerated by the study subjects without the occurrence of any associated injuries or adverse events. The association of each physiologic measure with each outcome was examined by the use of separate multivariate models to calculate the partial variance (R2) of each trunk and extremity measure.

Main Outcome Measurements

Balance measured by the Berg Balance Scale and Unipedal Stance Test and mobility performance as measured by the SPPB.

Results

Trunk extension endurance (partial R2 = .14, P = .02), and leg press strength (partial R2 = .14, P = .003) accounted for the greatest amount of the variance in SPPB performance. Trunk extension endurance (partial R2 = .17, P = .007), accounted for the greatest amount of the variance in BBS performance. Trunk extension strength (R2 = .09, P = .03), accounted for the greatest amount of the variance in UST performance. The variance explained by trunk extension endurance equaled or exceeded the variance explained by limb strength across all three performance outcomes.

Conclusions

Trunk endurance and strength can be safely measured in mobility-limited older adults and are associated with both balance and mobility performance. Trunk endurance and trunk strength are physiologic attributes worthy of targeting in the rehabilitative care of mobility-limited older adults.

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  • ‡ Disclosure: 8B, Rehabilitation Medicine Scientist Training K12 Program (RMSTP) and the National Institutes of Health (K12 HD 01097)
  • § Disclosure: nothing to disclose
  •  Disclosure: nothing to disclose
  • ∥ Disclosure: nothing to disclose
  • # Disclosure: 8B, Dennis W. Jahnigen Scholars Career Development Award, American Geriatrics Society/Hartford Foundation, a NIH Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award (K23AG019663-01A2), and by the Department of PM&R, Harvard Medical School. Clinical trials reg. # NCT00158119

 Disclosure Key can be found on the Table of Contents and at www.pmrjournal.org

PII: S1934-1482(09)01365-3

doi:10.1016/j.pmrj.2009.09.009

PM&R
Volume 1, Issue 10 , Pages 916-924, October 2009

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