FUNCTIONAL BALANCE TESTS IN 76-YEAR-OLDS IN RELATION TO PERFORMANCE, ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING AND PLATFORM TESTS

Functional balance was studied in a sample of 98 women and 75 men from a population study. Tests used were one-legged stance and walking in a figure of eight. The results revealed that both static and dynamic f unctional balance were significantly correlated to isometric knee exte nsor strength, walking speed and stair-climbing capacity, while the as sociation with activities of daily Living (ADL) was modest in this sam ple of relatively healthy elderly persons. A sub-sample of 17 women an d 10 men also performed balance tests on a force plate. Velocity of th e sway path with both open and closed eyes was significantly correlate d to the functional balance tests. Mean sway in the anterior-posterior direction and area tested with closed eyes were significantly correla ted to the functional static balance test. There were no significant a ssociations between the platform variables and the results in the perf ormance tests. The study demonstrated differences between the sexes in that males were able to stand for a longer time on one leg, while the y swayed more than females on the platform.