Research Topic: The stability of Human Locomotion and Fall Prevention

Submit your work Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences.
Deadline (abstract): 15 April 2021
Deadline (manuscript): 30 September 2021

About this Research Topic

According to the US center for disease control (CDC), the age-adjusted fall death rate is 64 per 100,000 older adults. Death due to a fall has increased by about 30% in the last decade. According to the US National Council of Aging (NCOA), one in four Americans older than 65 falls each year. According to the Mexican health secretariat, 46% of the adult population has experienced a fall in the last year. The financial toll for older US adults is expected to reach $67.7 billion by the end of 2020. According to the US Census Bureau, while adults aged 65-84 years accounted for 10.9% of the total population in the year 2000, this proportion is estimated to increase to approximately 16% by 2050.

Understanding the fundamental relationship between biomechanics, neural control, and the risk of falling is paramount for an educated effort to prevent potentially deadly falls. This special issue focuses on different aspects of fall mechanism, prevention, and rehabilitation. We seek applied, and clinical studies across the field of rehabilitation sciences related to musculoskeletal conditions, as well as first principle theoretical research that addresses the mechanism of locomotion stability and fall prevention.

Topics will entail, but are not limited to: the stability of quiet standing, walking, and running; the effects of muscular coordination on the risk of fall; the effect of the body internal dynamics on the stability of bipedal locomotion; the analysis of control parameters, including the effect of short-range muscular stiffness, and the vestibular system on locomotion. Works addressing how specific neuromuscular diseases impair locomotion and consequently targeted interventions are also welcome.

It is our pleasure to invite you to submit a manuscript to this Research Topic, including original research, general commentaries, and reviews.

Keywords: Locomotion, Stability, Falls, Musculoskeletal Conditions, Rehabilitation