Younger and Older Adults’ Frontal Plane Balance Control and Coordination in the Hole-Stepping Task While Walking

Objectives. We investigated how age (younger [YA] vs. older adults [OA]) and hole dimensions (60 cm vs. critical point) affect frontal plane adaptations—margin of stability (MoS), thorax-pelvis coordination, and joint angles—when stepping into a hole while walking. Methods. Fifteen YA and fifteen OA walked under three conditions: no hole, 60-cm hole, and critical point hole (1.3 times foot length). Results. MoS did not differ by age but decreased with holes, especially the critical point hole. OA increased in-phase and thorax phase coordination compared to YA across all surface conditions. When the foot was inside the hole, OA showed greater in-phase coordination than YA in the critical point condition. OA moved the pelvis downward more than YA when stepping into the hole. Conclusions. These findings indicate that older adults maintained their stability, albeit with changes in pelvis-thorax coordination and a more pronounced downward motion of the pelvis when stepping into the hole.