Normative Data for the BTrackS Balance Test of Postural Sway: Results from 16,357 Community- Dwelling Individuals Who Were 5 to 100 Years Old

Background: Postural sway is routinely assessed because increased postural sway is associated with poorer performance of activities of daily living, higher rates of residential care, and increased risk of falling. Force plate technology is one of the most sensitive and objective means of assessing postural sway in the clinic.

Objective: The aim of this study was to provide the first set of normative data for the BTrackS Balance Test (BBT) of postural sway.

Design: The design was descriptive and population based.

Methods: BBT results from 16,357 community-dwelling individuals who were 5 to 100 years old were accumulated and assessed for effects of age, sex, height, and weight. Percentile rankings were calculated for significant groupings.

Results: BBT results were dependent on age and sex but not height or weight. Therefore, percentile rankings were determined for male and female individuals in each age category, with no consideration of participant height or weight.

Limitations: Data were collected by third-party practitioners with various backgrounds in more than 50 locations across the United States and Canada. There was an imbalance in the sample sizes for age and sex groupings.

Conclusions: The findings of this study represent the largest normative dataset ever published for postural sway results. Normative data on the BBT can assist in determining abnormalities in postural sway, which have been linked to negative clinical outcomes.