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Objective: Falling is a common problem in elderly. Researches show that impairment of balance and postural control plays a major role in falling. It is suggested that there is a positive correlation between hip and ankle flexibility and falling in elderly. This study aimed to determine if there is a correlation between hip ankle flexibility and postural balance in elderly Materials & Methods: In this cross sectional study, 30 elderly (22men and 8 women) subjects (aged 71±7 yrs) were participated. The Berg Balance Scale and the range of motions of ankle dorsiflexion, passive hip extension, iliopsoas length were measured and the relationship between them was investigated. Results: Results showed that the correlation between ankle dorsiflexion range of motion, passive hip extension and iliopsoas length with balance were direct and significant based on Pearson's test (p<0.05). There was no relationship between age and balance, but balance in men was better than women. Conclusion: It seems that there is a relationship between hip and ankle flexibility and balance in older people, and this index can be used as a criterion to predict falls in elderly people.

Keywords: postural control, flexibility, elderly

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