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      • HARVEST
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      Comparison of muscle density, size, strength, and functional mobility between female fallers and non-fallers

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      AndrewFrankMScThesis.pdf (6.780Mb)
      Date
      2010-12
      Author
      Frank, Andrew William
      Type
      Thesis
      Degree Level
      Masters
      Metadata
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      Abstract
      Imaging based muscle density (MD) is associated with poor lower extremity performance, the development of mobility impairments, frailty, and hip fracture. These associations are all related to falls, yet no studies have investigated MD in community dwelling fallers. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether lower leg MD differed between community dwelling elderly women who do and do not report falls. The secondary objective was to determine if lower leg muscle cross sectional area (MCSA), timed up & go (TUG) test, and relative grip strength (RGS; as a ratio to body mass) differed between fallers and non-fallers. Women (N = 135), 60 years or older (mean age 74.1, SD 7.6) were recruited from a random sample of Saskatoon residents. Fallers (n = 36) and Non-fallers (n = 99) were grouped based on 12-month retrospective falls survey response. A peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) scan of the non-dominant lower leg was acquired to determine MD and MCSA. Participant age, height, weight, TUG test result and RGS were recorded. Between-group differences in mean age, body mass index (BMI), MD, MCSA, TUG and RGS were compared using independent t-tests (P < 0.05). MD and TUG results were transformed to meet the assumption of normality for parametric analysis. Age, BMI, MCSA and RGS did not differ (P > 0.5). Fallers had 3.2% lower MD (P = 0.01) and 15.1% slower TUG scores (P = 0.02), than non-fallers. Muscle density may serve as a physiological marker for the assessment of muscular health and fall risk in community dwelling elderly women.
      Degree
      Master of Science (M.Sc.)
      Department
      College of Kinesiology
      Program
      College of Kinesiology
      Supervisor
      Kontulainen, Saija
      Committee
      Farthing, Jonathan; Chilibeck, Philip; Harrison, Elizabeth
      Copyright Date
      December 2010
      URI
      http://hdl.handle.net/10388/etd-01172011-161120
      Subject
      muscle adiposity
      Canadian multicentre osteoporosis study
      muscle attenuation
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