GENDER DIFFERENCE OF KNEE JOINT TORQUE DURING MAXIMAL VOLUNTARY CONTRACTION IN THE ELDERLY

• Published in: Journal of mechanics in medicine and biology Vol. 19; no. 7; p. 1940036
• Main Authors: KO, JUNGHYUK, KWON, YU-RI, CHOI, YOON-HYEOK, EOM, GWANG-MOON, KIM, JI-WON
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore World Scientific Publishing Company 01.11.2019; World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte., Ltd
• Subjects: Gender aspects; Gender differences; Joints (anatomy); Knee; Men; Muscle strength; Older people; Risk analysis; Torque; Women; Knee joint; gender; peak torque; elderly; rate of torque development; isometric contraction; eccentric contraction
• ISSN: 0219-5194; 1793-6810
• DOI: 10.1142/S0219519419400360

Reduced muscle strength is an important fall risk factor. The fall occurs more in elderly women than in elderly men. The aim of this study is to investigate muscle strength and the ability to generate rapid torque for knee joint in elderly men and women. Twenty healthy elderly participants (10 men and 10 women) performed maximal voluntary knee extension and flexion during concentric, isometric and eccentric conditions. The peak torque and rate of torque development (RTD) was normalized by each subject’s body mass. Independent t -tests were employed in the comparison of elderly women with elderly men. Elderly women exhibited weaker isometric flexion and eccentric extension strength compared to elderly men ( p < 0 . 0 5 ). Although there was no significant gender difference in isometric extension peak torque, RTD of elderly women was slower than it of elderly men ( p < 0 . 0 5 ). In contrast, no significant gender differences were observed in concentric contraction condition ( p > 0 . 0 5 ). These results indicate that the deteriorated RTD as well as muscle strength per body mass may be associated with a higher frequency of falls in elderly women than in elderly men. This study suggests that training of specific-contraction type should be considered for fall prevention in elderly women.