Biomechanics Commons^™

Differences In Loading Rate In Shod And Unshod Treadmill Walking, David Austin Kropushek

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to compare the loading rates of shod and unshod conditions in treadmill walking. It was hypothesized that walking barefoot would demonstrate higher loading rates than walking with shoes. It was also hypothesized that walking barefoot on a treadmill would result in greater stride-to-stride variability than walking with shoes. Sixteen healthy adult females volunteered and provided their consent to participate in this study. Participants were given time to accommodate to the instrumented treadmill both while wearing shoes and without. Two 10-minute trials were collected with a rest period between. Data were analyzed using Vicon Nexus …

Effects Of Altered Somatosensory Input On Gait Kinetics And Kinematics Via Different Footwear In Individuals With Chronic Post-Stroke Hemiparesis, Daniela Casillas, Lesley Ruiz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose/Hypothesis: Individuals with post-stroke hemiparesis walk with significant asymmetries, leading to slow, effortful walking, and a high risk of falls. One contributing factor is altered sensation on the plantar surface. Studies examining altered somatosensory input via insoles, vibration and other tactile stimuli observed improvements in hemiparesis gait. This study investigates whether altering somatosensory input through different footwear can affect kinetics, kinematics and muscle activity during walking post-stroke. We hypothesized the barefoot conditions would have increased dorsiflexion (heel-strike, swing), increased plantarflexion during toe-off, increased muscle activity and kinetics, compared to memory foam conditions.

Participants: 13 individuals with chronic post-stroke hemiparesis (4F/9M, …

Joint Angular Kinematics And Gross Motor Function In Typically Developing Healthy Children, Monday Omoniyi Moses, Ngozi Florence Onuegbu, Prince De-Gualle Deku, Mary Abena Nyarko, Lydia Boampong Owusu, Abigael Omowumi Emikpe, Emmanuel Babatunde John, Rahul Soangra, Abiboye Cheduko Yifieyeh, Nicholas Akinwale Titiloye

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Objective: The aim of this study was to establish the interactions between joint angular kinematics and gross motor function in typically developing healthy Ghanaian children. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was employed. A total of 150 (69 (46.0%), 3.25 ± 0.08-year-old boys and 81 (54.0%), 3.25 ± 0.06-year-old girls) 2–4-year-old children were recruited. Joint angular kinematic variables [left hip flexion (LHF), left hip extension (LHE), right hip flexion (RHF), left knee flexion (LKF), right hip extension (RHE), left knee extension (LKE), right knee flexion (RKF), left ankle dorsi-flexion (LADF), right knee extension (RKE), right ankle plantar flexion (RAPF), left …

Physiological And Psychological Differences Between 20% Grade Incline Walking And Level-Grade Jogging At Isocaloric Intensity, Motoki Sato

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

High-incline walking is a relatively new trend with little comparative information. This study compared physiological and psychological differences between high-incline walking at 20% grade (HIW) and level-grade jogging (LGJ) at isocaloric intensities in young adults. Twenty-two participants (M=11, F=11) aged 19-31 years completed the study. Participants completed HIW and LGJ on a treadmill for twenty minutes on two separate occasions and matched at isocaloric intensities. Rating of perceived exertion (RPE), maintainability (HCM), and affective valence using the Feeling Scale (FS) were measured at minutes 2, 10, and 20. Gas exchange and heart rate (HR) were continuously recorded. Post-exercise, participants completed …

Gaze During Turning In Older Adults, Kalina Mavrov

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

To navigate complex environments, our gaze needs to attenuate to locomotor tasks, such as walking and turning. Shifting gaze (i.e., rotation of the eyes and head), is important when moving through different environments. The aim of this study was to compare gaze anticipation during clinical tests and complex real-world locomotion. I hypothesized that older adults would shift their gaze in a new heading direction in anticipation of turns. I further predicted increased gaze anticipation in tasks that have a high demand for spatial orientation. Participants were asked to complete clinical tasks consisting of a 2-minute walk, figure-8, and 360-turning in …

Effects Of Pubertal Growth Variation On Knee Mechanics During Walking In Female And Male Adolescents, Andrew W. Froehle, Brian A. Edwards, Matthew Peterson, Brian Meyerson, Dana Duren

School of Health and Exercise Sciences Faculty Publications

Introduction: Puberty substantially alters the body's mechanical properties, neuromuscular control, and sex differences therein, likely contributing to increased, sex-biased knee injury risk during adolescence. Female adolescents have higher risk for knee injuries than male adolescents of similar age engaging in similar physical activities, and much research has investigated sex differences in mechanical risk factors. However, few studies address the considerable variation in pubertal growth (timing, pace), knee mechanics, and injury susceptibility within sexes, or the impact of such growth variation on mechanical injury risk.

Objectives: The present study tested for effects of variation in pubertal growth on established mechanical …

The Interaction Of Treadmill Type And Incline Slope On Biomechanics And Muscle Activation During Human Locomotion, Rohit Kundu

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Treadmills are widely used in biomechanical research. However, variations in treadmill design and running surfaces may affect biomechanical variables such as muscle activation and impact acceleration. In addition, incline walking on treadmills leads to changes in the pattern of muscle activation, particularly at steeper inclines. Despite extensive research on the effects of running surfaces and inclines on biomechanical variables (gait, muscle activation, impact force), the impact of varying treadmill manufacturers on biomechanical variables at high inclines remains unclear. Purpose: To determine whether the type of treadmill deck influences surface electromyography (EMG) patterns and impact accelerations at high incline (20%) walking …

Peripheral Artery Disease Affects The Function Of The Legs Of Claudicating Patients In A Diffuse Manner Irrespective Of The Segment Of The Arterial Tree Primarily Involved, Todd Leutzinger, Panagiotis Koutakis, Matthew A. Fuglestad, Hafizur Rahman, Holly Despiegelaere, Mahdi Hassan, Molly Schieber, Jason Johanning, Nick Stergiou, G. Matthew Longo, George P. Casale, Sara A. Myers, Iraklis Pipinos

Journal Articles

Different levels of arterial occlusive disease (aortoiliac, femoropopliteal, multi-level disease) can produce claudication symptoms in different leg muscle groups (buttocks, thighs, calves) in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). We tested the hypothesis that different locations of occlusive disease uniquely affect the muscles of PAD legs and produce distinctive patterns in the way claudicating patients walk. Ninety-seven PAD patients and 35 healthy controls were recruited. PAD patients were categorized to aortoiliac, femoropopliteal and multi-level disease groups using computerized tomographic angiography. Subjects performed walking trials both pain-free and during claudication pain and joint kinematics, kinetics, and spatiotemporal parameters were calculated to …

Predicting The Progression Of Diabetes Mellitus Using Dynamic Plantar Pressure Parameters, Mathew Sunil Varre

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is one of the common complications of type-2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Changes in the intrinsic plantar tissue coupled with repetitive mechanical loads and loss of sensation may lead to foot related complications (skin break down, ulcerations, and amputations) in persons with neuropathy if left untreated. The purpose of this dissertation was to stratify individuals with pre-diabetes, diabetes with and without neuropathy using dynamic plantar pressure parameters during walking, using machine learning algorithms.Methods: Plantar pressure data was collected from one hundred participants during walking with pressure measuring insoles fixed between the feet and thin socks. Simultaneously high-definition …

These Fish Were Made For Walking: Morphology And Walking Kinematics In Balitorid Loaches, Callie Hendricks Crawford

Dissertations

Terrestrial excursions have been observed in multiple lineages of marine and freshwater fishes. These ventures into the terrestrial environment may be used when fish are searching out new habitat during drought, escaping predation, laying eggs, or seeking food sources. The physiological demands for life under water and on land are vastly different and require different functional adaptations. Fish with terrestrial excursions must be capable of dealing with the stresses of both aquatic and terrestrial environments for varying periods of time. To deal with these stresses, amphibious fishes exhibit many morphological and behavioral adaptations. These adaptations have led to a range …

Filtering Affects The Calculation Of The Largest Lyapunov Exponent, Peter C. Raffalt, Ben Senderling, Nicholas Stergiou

Journal Articles

The calculation of the largest Lyapunov exponent (LyE) requires the reconstruction of the time series in an N-dimensional state space. For this, the time delay (Tau) and embedding dimension (EmD) are estimated using the Average Mutual Information and False Nearest Neighbor algorithms. However, the estimation of these variables (LyE, Tau, EmD) could be compromised by prior filtering of the time series evaluated. Therefore, we investigated the effect of filtering kinematic marker data on the calculation of Tau, EmD and LyE using several different computational codes. Kinematic marker data were recorded from 37 subjects during treadmill walking and filtered using a …

Step Width Variability As A Discriminator Of Age-Related Gait Changes, Andreas Skiadopoulos, Emily E. Moore, Harlan Sayles, Kendra K. Schmid, Nicholas Stergiou

Journal Articles

Background

There is scientific evidence that older adults aged 65 and over walk with increased step width variability which has been associated with risk of falling. However, there are presently no threshold levels that define the optimal reference range of step width variability. Thus, the purpose of our study was to estimate the optimal reference range for identifying older adults with normative and excessive step width variability.

Methods

We searched systematically the BMC, Cochrane Library, EBSCO, Frontiers, IEEE, PubMed, Scopus, SpringerLink, Web of Science, Wiley, and PROQUEST databases until September 2018, and included the studies that measured step width variability …

Auditory And Visual External Cues Have Different Effects On Spatial But Similar Effects On Temporal Measures Of Gait Variability, Joao R. Vaz, Troy Rand, Jessica Fujan-Hansen, Mukul Mukherjee, Nicholas Stergiou

Journal Articles

Walking synchronized to external cues is a common practice in clinical settings. Several research studies showed that this popular gait rehabilitation tool alters gait variability. There is also recent evidence which suggests that alterations in the temporal structure of the external cues could restore gait variability at healthy levels. It is unknown, however, if such alterations produce similar effects if the cueing modalities used are different; visual or auditory. The modality could affect gait variability differentially, since there is evidence that auditory cues mostly act in the temporal domain of gait, while visual cues act in the spatial domain of …

Modular Footwear That Partially Offsets Downhill Or Uphill Grades Minimizes The Metabolic Cost Of Human Walking, Prokopios Antonellis, Cory M. Frederick, Arash Mohammadzadeh Gonabadi, Philippe Malcolm

Journal Articles

Walking on different grades becomes challenging on energetic and muscular levels compared to level walking. While it is not possible to eliminate the cost of raising or lowering the centre of mass (COM), it could be possible to minimize the cost of distal joints with shoes that offset downhill or uphill grades. We investigated the effects of shoe outsole geometry in 10 participants walking at 1 m s−1 on downhill, level and uphill grades. Level shoes minimized metabolic rate during level walking (Psecond-order effect < 0.001). However, shoes that entirely offset the (overall) treadmill grade did not minimize the metabolic rate of walking on grades: shoes with a +3° (upward) inclination minimized metabolic rate during downhill walking on a −6° grade, and shoes with a −3° (downward) inclination minimized metabolic rate during uphill walking on a +6° grade (P interaction effect = 0.023). Shoe inclination influenced (distal) ankle joint parameters, including soleus muscle activity, ankle moment and work rate, whereas treadmill grade influenced (whole-body) ground reaction force and COM work rate as well as (distal) ankle joint parameters including tibialis anterior and plantarflexor muscle activity, ankle moment and work rate. Similar modular footwear could be used to minimize joint loads or assist with walking on rolling terrain.

Biomechanics In The 4haie Study: Air Pollution And Musculoskeletal Health - An Update, Daniel Jandacka, Jaroslav Uchityil, David Zahradník, Roman Farana, Dominik Villimek, Jiri Skypala, Jan Urbaczka, Jan Plesek, Adam Motyka, Denisa Blaschova, Gabriela Beinhauerova, Marketa Rygelová, Pavel Brtva, Zuzana Golembiovska, Klara Balazova, Jan Malus, Veronika Horka, Julia F. Silvernail, Gareth Irwin, Miika T. Nieminen, Victor Casula, Vlado Juras, Milos Golian, Steriani Elavsky, Lenka Knapova, Radim Sram, Joseph Hamill

Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Research

The overall purpose of the 4HAIE study was to assess the influence of the interaction between air pollution and biomechanical, physiological and psychosocial factors on the incidence of injuries, health and well-being. A total of 1,500 active runners and inactive controls aged 18-65 will be recruited. Herein, we describe the biomechanical study design with data examples to investigate musculoskeletal and neuro-mechanics health in different air quality regions.

The Independence Effects Of Gravitational And Inertial Forces On Gait Transitions In Humans, Nathan Frakes

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The Dynamic Similarity hypothesis suggests gravitational and inertial forces plays a role in determining preferred transition speed (PTS) for walk to run transitions (WRT) and run to walk transitions (RWT), and that humans prefer to transition gait when the ratio of inertial force (IF) to gravitational force (GF) (i.e. Froude #) is ~0.5. Purpose: To investigate the effect of gravitational and inertial forces on PTS, Froude # (Fr) and kinematics for both WRT and RWT. Methods: Twelve healthy adults (9 M, 3 F) performed WRT and RWT trials on a treadmill across seven combinations of altered body weight (BW) and …

Selection Procedures For The Largest Lyapunov Exponent In Gait Biomechanics, Peter C. Raffalt, Jenny A. Kent, Shane R. Wurdeman, Nicholas Stergiou

Journal Articles

The present study was aimed at investigating the effectiveness of the Wolf et al. (LyE_W) and Rosenstein et al. largest Lyapunov Exponent (LyE_R) algorithms to differentiate data sets with distinctly different temporal structures. The three-dimensional displacement of the sacrum was recorded from healthy subjects during walking and running at two speeds; one low speed close to the preferred walking speed and one high speed close to the preferred running speed. LyE_R and LyE_W were calculated using four different time series normalization procedures. The performance of the algorithms were evaluated based on their ability to return relative low values for slow …

Walking Biomechanics And Energetics Of Individuals With A Visual Impairment: A Preliminary Report, Hunter J. Bennett, Kevin A. Valenzuela, Kristina Fleenor, Steven Morrison, Justin A. Haegele

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Purpose.

Although walking gait in sighted populations is well researched, few studies have investigated persons with visual impairments (VIs). Given the lack of physical activity in people with VIs, it is possible that reduced efficiency in walking could adversely affect activity. The purposes of this preliminary study were to (1) examine the biomechanics and energetics utilized during independent and guided walking in subjects with VIs, and (2) compare gait biomechanics between people with VIs and sighted controls.

Methods.

Three-dimensional motion capture and force platforms were used during independent and guided walking at self-selected speeds. Joint angles, moments, external work, and …

Linking Gait Dynamics To Mechanical Cost Of Legged Locomotion, David V. Lee, Sarah L. Harris

Life Sciences Faculty Research

For millenia, legged locomotion has been of central importance to humans for hunting, agriculture, transportation, sport, and warfare. Today, the same principal considerations of locomotor performance and economy apply to legged systems designed to serve, assist, or be worn by humans in urban and natural environments. Energy comes at a premium not only for animals, wherein suitably fast and economical gaits are selected through organic evolution, but also for legged robots that must carry sufficient energy in their batteries. Although a robot's energy is spent at many levels, from control systems to actuators, we suggest that the mechanical cost of …

On The Choice Of Multiscale Entropy Algorithm For Quantification Of Complexity In Gait Data, Peter C. Raffalt, William Denton, Jennifer M. Yentes

Journal Articles

The present study aimed at identifying a suitable multiscale entropy (MSE) algorithm for assessment of complexity in a stride-to-stride time interval time series. Five different algorithms were included (the original MSE, refine composite multiscale entropy (RCMSE), multiscale fuzzy entropy, generalized multiscale entropy and intrinsic mode entropy) and applied to twenty iterations of white noise, pink noise, or a sine wave with added white noise. Based on their ability to differentiate the level of complexity in the three different generated signal types, and their sensitivity and parameter consistency, MSE and RCMSE were deemed most appropriate. These two algorithms were applied to …

Exoskeleton Assistance Symmetry Matters: Unilateral Assistance Reduces Metabolic Cost, But Relatively Less Than Bilateral Assistance, Philippe Malcolm, Samuel Galle, Pieter Van Den Berghe, Dirk De Clercq

Journal Articles

Background: Many gait impairments are characterized by asymmetry and result in reduced mobility. Exoskeletons could be useful for restoring gait symmetry by assisting only one leg. However, we still have limited understanding of the effects of unilateral exoskeleton assistance. Our aim was to compare the effects of unilateral and bilateral assistance using a within-subject study design.

Methods: Eleven participants walked in different exoskeleton conditions. In the Unilateral conditions, only one leg was assisted. In Bilateral Matched Total Work, half of the assistance from the Unilateral conditions was applied to both legs such that the bilateral sum was equal …

Bi-Articular Knee-Ankle-Foot Exoskeleton Produces Higher Metabolic Cost Reduction Than Weight-Matched Mono-Articular Exoskeleton, Philippe Malcolm, Samuel Galle, Dirk De Clercq

Journal Articles

The bi-articular m. gastrocnemius and the mono-articular m. soleus have different and complementary functions during walking. Several groups are starting to use these biological functions as inspiration to design prostheses with bi-articular actuation components to replace the function of the m. gastrocnemius. Simulation studies indicate that a bi-articular configuration and spring that mimic the m. gastrocnemius could be beneficial for orthoses or exoskeletons. Our aim was to test the effect of a bi-articular and spring configuration that mimics the m. gastrocnemius and compare this to a no- spring and mono-articular configuration. We tested nine participants during walking with knee-ankle-foot exoskeletons …

Introducing Statistical Persistence Decay – A Quantification Of Stride-To-Stride Time Interval Dependency In Human Gait, P. C. Raffalt, J. M. Yentes

Journal Articles

Stride-to-stride time intervals during human walking are characterised by predictability and statistical persistence quantified by sample entropy (SaEn) and detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) which indicates a time dependency in the gait pattern. However, neither analyses quantify time dependency in a physical or physiological interpretable time scale. Recently, entropic half-life (ENT½) has been introduced as a measure of the time dependency on an interpretable time scale. A novel measure of time dependency, based on DFA, statistical persistence decay (SPD), was introduced. The present study applied SaEn, DFA, ENT½, and SPD in known theoretical signals (periodic, chaotic, and random) and stride-to-stride time …

Dynamic Balance Changes Within Three Weeks Of Fitting A New Prosthetic Foot Component, Jenny A. Kent, Nicholas Stergiou, Shane R. Wurdeman

Journal Articles

Balance during walking is of high importance to prosthesis users and may affect walking during baseline observation and evaluation. The aim of this study was to determine whether changes in walking balance occurred during an adaptation period following the fitting of a new prosthetic component.

Margin of stability in the medial-lateral direction (MOSML) and an anterior instability margin (AIM) were used to quantify the dynamic balance of 21 unilateral transtibial amputees during overground walking. Participants trialled two prosthetic feet presenting contrasting movement/balance constraints; a Higher Activity foot similar to that of their own prosthesis, and a Lower Activity foot. Participants …

Hallux Valgus Surgery Affects Kinematic Parameters During Gait, Jitka Klugarova, Miroslav Janura, Zdenek Svoboda, Zdenek Sos, Nicholas Stergiou, Miloslav Klugar

Journal Articles

Background

The aim of our study was to compare spatiotemporal parameters and lower limb and pelvis kinematics during the walking in patients with hallux valgus before and after surgery and in relation to a control group.

Methods

Seventeen females with hallux valgus, who underwent first metatarsal osteotomy, constituted our experimental group. The control group consisted of thirteen females. Kinematic data during walking were obtained using the Vicon MX system.

Findings

Our results showed that hallux valgus before surgery affects spatiotemporal parameters and lower limb and pelvis kinematics during walking. Hallux valgus surgery further increased the differences that were present before …

Gait Kinematics And Kinetics Are Affected More By Peripheral Arterial Disease Than By Age, Sara A. Myers, Bryon Applequist, Jessie M. Huisinga, Iraklis Pipinos, Jason M. Johanning

Journal Articles

—Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) produces abnormal gait and disproportionately affects older individuals. The current study investigated PAD gait biomechanics in younger (<65 yr) and older (>/=65 yr) subjects. The study included 61 patients with PAD (31 younger, age: 57.4 +/– 5.3 yr, and 30 older, age: 71.9 +/– 5.2 yr) and 52 nondisabled age-matched control subjects. Patients with PAD were tested during pain-free walking and compared with control subjects. Joint kinematics and kinetics (torques) were compared using a 2 x 2 analysis of variance (groups: patients with PAD vs control subjects, age: younger vs older). Patients with PAD had significantly increased ankle and …

The Influence Of Push-Off Timing In A Robotic Ankle-Foot Prosthesis On The Energetics And Mechanics Of Walking, Philippe Malcolm, Robert E. Quesada, Joshua M. Caputo, Steven H. Collins

Journal Articles

Background

Robotic ankle-foot prostheses that provide net positive push-off work can reduce the metabolic rate of walking for individuals with amputation, but benefits might be sensitive to push-off timing. Simple walking models suggest that preemptive push-off reduces center-of-mass work, possibly reducing metabolic rate. Studies with bilateral exoskeletons have found that push-off beginning before leading leg contact minimizes metabolic rate, but timing was not varied independently from push-off work, and the effects of push-off timing on biomechanics were not measured. Most lower-limb amputations are unilateral, which could also affect optimal timing. The goal of this study was to vary the timing …

Locomotor Sensory Organization Test: A Novel Paradigm For The Assessment Of Sensory Contributions In Gait, Jung Hung Chien, Diderik-Jan Eikema, Mukul Mukherjee, Nicholas Stergiou

Journal Articles

Feedback based balance control requires the integration of visual, proprioceptive and vestibular input to detect the body’s movement within the environment. When the accuracy of sensory signals is compromised, the system reorganizes the relative contributions through a process of sensory recalibration, for upright postural stability to be maintained. Whereas this process has been studied extensively in standing using the Sensory Organization Test (SOT), less is known about these processes in more dynamic tasks such as locomotion. In the present study, ten healthy young adults performed the six conditions of the traditional SOT to quantify standing postural control when exposed to …

Locomotor Sensory Organization Test: A Novel Paradigm For The Assessment Of Sensory Contributions In Gait, Jung Hung Chien, Diderik Jan Anthony Eikema, Mukul Mukherjee, Nikolaos Stergiou

Journal Articles

Feedback based balance control requires the integration of visual, proprioceptive and vestibular input to detect the body’s movement within the environment. When the accuracy of sensory signals is compromised, the system reorganizes the relative contributions through a process of sensory recalibration, for upright postural stability to be maintained. Whereas this process has been studied extensively in standing using the Sensory Organization Test (SOT), less is known about these processes in more dynamic tasks such as locomotion. In the present study, ten healthy young adults performed the six conditions of the traditional SOT to quantify standing postural control when exposed to …

A Comparative Evaluation Of The Effects Of Incline On Kinematics And Muscle Function During Backward Walking, Daniel Brent Jensen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate lower extremity kinematics and muscle activation patterns in inclined backward walking (IBW) versus traditional backward walking (BW). This purpose was achieved by evaluating performance of individuals walking backward on a treadmill at inclines of 0%, 6%, 8%, 10%, and 12%. Eleven participants (24.9 ± 4.8 yrs, 71.9 ± 11.6 kg, 1.7 ± 0.09m) recruited from the UNLV student body went through a familiarization training program before any data were collected. The familiarization training, which took place across 3 different days, served to: 1) help the participants become comfortable and familiar with BW …