Thomas E. Augenstein , Shekoofe Saadat , Amiya C. Gupta , Danny Shin , Olugbenga P. Adeeko , Edward P. Washabaugh , Chandramouli Krishnan
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background
Overhead support or catch systems are frequently used in gait studies involving clinical populations to ensure participant safety. These systems remain slack when the participant is upright and therefore are assumed to not interfere with gait biomechanics. However, these systems follow participant’s transverse motion during walking via rail systems, which could produce additional inertial and frictional forces that affect gait biomechanics.
Objective
Quantify the influence of overhead support systems on gait biomechanics during treadmill and overground walking.
Methods
We recruited fifteen uninjured adults to perform treadmill and overground walking. In each of these walking conditions, we varied each participant’s walking speed (80, 100, and 120 % of preferred speed) and attachment to an overhead support system. We measured the participants’ joint angles, moments and ground reaction forces using a three-dimensional motion capture system and an instrumented treadmill built into an overground walkway. For overground and treadmill walking, we examined changes in each biomechanical variable across speed and harness conditions using one-dimensional statistical parametric mapping (spm1d).
Results
During overground walking, the overhead support system altered ground reaction forces, joint kinematics, and moments, and these effects became more pronounced with increased speed. During treadmill walking, we found very few changes in gait biomechanics resulting from the harness.
Conclusions
These results caution the use of experimental paradigms involving overground walking when an overhead support is required, although these results may be less pronounced in clinical populations with slower walking speeds. Overhead support systems can be used during treadmill walking without affecting biomechanical measurements.
期刊介绍:
Gait & Posture is a vehicle for the publication of up-to-date basic and clinical research on all aspects of locomotion and balance.
The topics covered include: Techniques for the measurement of gait and posture, and the standardization of results presentation; Studies of normal and pathological gait; Treatment of gait and postural abnormalities; Biomechanical and theoretical approaches to gait and posture; Mathematical models of joint and muscle mechanics; Neurological and musculoskeletal function in gait and posture; The evolution of upright posture and bipedal locomotion; Adaptations of carrying loads, walking on uneven surfaces, climbing stairs etc; spinal biomechanics only if they are directly related to gait and/or posture and are of general interest to our readers; The effect of aging and development on gait and posture; Psychological and cultural aspects of gait; Patient education.