ArticleEuropean geriatric medicine2023
Elasticity of leg muscles and incidence of falls in older adults: a prospective cohort analysis.
Article in European geriatric medicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.
- A systematic review of multicomponent vs. single-component training programs for fall prevention in older adults.Frontiers in public health · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of Different Interventions Using Taekwondo, Boxing, and Elastic Band Training on Body Composition and Physical Function in Chilean Older Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
8 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeAging impacts muscle strength and elasticity, which in turn influence dynamic balance, walking speed, and physical performance. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between the elasticity of leg muscles and incidence of falls in older adults.
methodsWe conducted a prospective cohort analysis with outpatients from a geriatric clinic. Any history of falls in the past year was recorded. Timed up and go test, muscle thickness, and handgrip strength tests were performed. Elasticities of the gastrocnemius medialis (GM) and rectus femoris (RF) muscles were evaluated using shear wave elastography. Patients self-recorded their falls, and additional phone calls were made to them each month for 6 months.
resultsThe median age of the patients (n = 55) was 72 years (66-86); and 72% were women. The GM showed significantly lower elasticity in patients with history of falls in the past year than in those without it (8.08 kPa [3.90-16.17] vs. 9.70 kPa [4.99-20.95]; p = 0.028). A similar negative correlation between GM and fall incidence was noted among those with additional falls during the follow-up period (6.96 kPa [3.90-12.41] vs. 9.13 kPa [4.99-20.95]; p = 0.019). GM elasticity was significantly correlated with the timed up and go test score (r = - 0.612, p < 0.001), handgrip strength (r = 0.384, p = 0.015), and muscle thickness (r = 0.232, p = 0.049). No such associations were observed for the RF muscles.
conclusionGM muscle elasticity is associated with alterations in muscle structure that may lead to falls in older adults. Therefore, muscle elasticity may be a fall predictor in older adults.
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