Affiliations: [a] Department of Physical Therapy, Universidade Federal
of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil | [b] Department of Physical Therapy, Sackler Faculty of
Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: Zeevi Dvir, Department of Physical
Therapy, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 69971, Israel. Tel.:
+972 528364476; Fax: +972 36409223; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: OBJECTIVES: To assess the strength of the flexors and
extensors of the knee and hip joints in elderly and in young individuals. METHODS: A group of elderly women (N=47) and men (N=44) aged
65 and older and a group of young women (N=15) and men (N=15) aged
between 20 and 30 years were tested for the isokinetic strength of the hip and
knee flexors and extensors. RESULTS: A typical age-related decrease in
the strength of all tested muscles was observed but the decline in hip muscles
strength, compared to those of the knee, was significantly lower, by about
10%. Moreover, women presented a significantly better strength preservation
than men. The consistency of performing the repeated isokinetic efforts was
higher, in some instances significantly so, in the older (range: 4.4–11%)
than in the younger (3.5–6.3%) individuals but the differences do not seem
to convey any clinical significance. CONCLUSION: These findings enable clinicians to set valid rehabilitation goals,
particularly with respect to hip dysfunction in the elderly. Furthermore, healthy
elderly individuals perform maximal isokinetic tests with substantially similar
degree of gross motor control compared to that of young individuals.
