Identification of Optimal Foot Tactile Sensation Threshold for Detecting Fall Risk Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract

Objective: Foot tactile sensitivity loss, commonly assessed by monofilaments, is a fall risk factor among older adults. The broadly used threshold of the monofilament for fall risk assessment in older adults is 5.07. However, this threshold originates from assessing foot ulceration risk in people with peripheral neuropathy. The primary purpose of this study was to identify the optimal filament size and its cutoff number of sensitive sites that can be used to best identify a high risk of falls in terms of the foot tactile sensitivity for community-dwelling older adults.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the foot tactile sensitivity was assessed by a 6-piece Semmes-Weinstein monofilament kit at 9 sites per foot among 94 older adults, including 38 fallers and 56 nonfallers. The number of sensitive sites was determined for each monofilament size as the cutoff. Logistical regression analyses were used to determine the monofilament size and number of sensitive sites best able to differentiate fallers from nonfallers.

Results: Fallers showed overall worse foot tactile sensory measurements than nonfallers. Logistical regression analyses identified 4.31 as the best monofilament size and 7 as the number of sensitive sites to differentiate fallers from nonfallers with an accuracy of 71.3%.

Conclusion: The 4.31 monofilament could be the best filament to detect the risk of falls among older adults in terms of tactile sensory loss. Inability to feel the pressure from the 4.31 filament at more than 7 sites could indicate a high risk of falls.

Impact: These findings could help physical therapists and other rehabilitation professionals improve decision making in detecting older adults with a high risk of falls, thus facilitating the effort of fall prevention in older adults.

Keywords: Cutaneous Sensation; Fall Prevention; Fall Risk Assessment; Semmes-Weinstein Monofilament Test; Sensory Loss.