Footedness influence on stability measures

Abstract

Footedness is the preferable use of one lower limb in respect to it contralateral one. Hypothetically, stability should demonstrate such differences. Transferring this concept into human motor skills, different adaptations of stiffness measures are applied as an indicator of dynamic joint stiffness, vertical stiffness and leg stiffness. Footedness influence was assessed in three different tasks used in rehabilitation and sports: gait, single-leg triple jump for distance and unilateral hopping. Kinematic and synchronized kinetic data was obtained by a 3D motion analysis system and a force platform. Results indicate no differences between dominant and non-dominant limb, exception to the concentric sub phase of the unilateral hopping stance phase, on ankle's dynamic joint stiffness (p<;0,05). Discussion increase the lack of definition consensus of dominant lower limb and strengths the theory of inexistent lower limb dominance.