Association of Fall-Risk Factors and Margin of Stability While Tripping in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Experimental Pilot Study

This pilot and feasibility study demonstrates the applicability of a tripping paradigm to perturb MoS in older adults and provides preliminary insights into its association with fall-risk indices. While the protocol proved safe and feasible for fit older adults, perceived safety limited full participation. The findings are exploratory and intended to guide the design of larger prospective studies rather than to establish predictive conclusions. These data suggest that MoS during controlled tripping may help differentiate fall-risk strata, but confirmation will require adequately powered studies in more diverse and frailer older populations-and across multiple real-world scenarios-before any clinical implementation can be considered.