Posture of the trunk in the sagittal plane is associated with gait in community-dwelling elderly population

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether abnormal posture of the trunk in the sagittal plane would affect gait and functional performance in the elderly. Background. There have been very few reports on whether posture of the trunk is related to gait and functional performance. Methods. The study group included 237 participants with a mean age of 80.0 years (range 65–94 years). The posture of the trunk in a standing position of the sagittal plane was classified into five groups. We investigated the relationship between the trunk posture in the sagittal plane and age with gait parameters and functional performance such as timed up & go test and functional reach. Results. In the elderly subjects of normal posture, there was no difference between those in the 65–79 years age group and those in the 80 years and older age group in terms of any gait parameters. Walking abilities were significantly decreased in the abnormal posture groups. Among the abnormal posture groups, elderly in the lumbar kyphosis group had walking disabilities that did not differ between age groups, whereas gait disturbance in the thoracic kyphosis group showed a positive relation with age. Conclusions. Posture of the trunk in the sagittal plane was associated not only with the distance and time parameter of gait, but also with functional performance in the elderly.