Gait & Posture

BACKGROUND: Patellofemoral osteoarthritis (OA) is an important subgroup of knee OA. However, the influence of sex on gait characteristics in patients with patellofemoral OA is unknown. RESEARCH QUESTION: Compare gait characteristics in females and males with patellofemoral OA and investigate their associations with patellofemoral joint-related symptoms and limitations. METHODS: Mixed effects polynomial regression models compared knee flexion-extension and adduction moments, knee flexion angles, and vertical ground reaction forces over 100% of stance between 26 females and 22 males with patellofemoral OA, with and without adjustment for walking speed and body mass...

BACKGROUND: Local dynamic stability (LDS) has become accepted as a gait stability indicator. The deterioration of gait stability is magnified in older adults. RESEARCH QUESTION: What is the current state in the field regarding the relationship between LDS and cognitive and/or physical function in older adults? METHODS: A scoping review design was used to search for peer-reviewed literature or conference proceedings published through May 2023 for an association between LDS and cognitive (e...

BACKGROUND: The longitudinal arch of the foot acts like a spring during stance and contributes to walking efficiency. Pronated foot characterized by a collapsed medial longitudinal arch may have the impaired spring-like function and poor walking efficiency. However, the differences in the energetic behavior during walking between individuals with pronated foot and neutral foot have not been considered. RESEARCH QUESTION: How does the energetic behavior within the foot and proximal lower limb joints in pronated foot affect walking efficiency? METHODS: Twenty-one healthy young adults were classified into neutral foot and pronated foot based on the Foot Posture Index score...

BACKGROUND: The influence of load carriage in operational police officers is not well understood despite a relatively high injury rate. Assessing load related changes in head and torso coordination may provide valuable insight into plausible injury mechanisms. RESEARCH QUESTION: Do typical police tactical vest loads alter head and torso coordination during running? METHODS: Thirty-eight UK police officers ran at a self-selected pace (>2 ms-1 ) on a non-motorised treadmill in four vest load conditions (unloaded, and low, high and evenly distributed loads)...

BACKGROUND: Successful recovery following a perturbation during walking depends on a quick well-coordinated response from the body. As such, lower limb joint power and work provide critical information characterizing the success of the recovery after a perturbation. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate lower-limb joint power and the relative contribution of each joint to the total leg work during the recovery following a trip-induced perturbation. METHODS: Twenty-four young male volunteers walked at 1...

BACKGROUND: Reducing fall-related injuries is difficult due to the multi-factorial nature of falls, and challenges in implementing injury-preventative strategies. While safety floors are effective at absorbing energy and reducing fall-related impact forces, the low stiffness component of these floors may impair an individual's balance and mobility, thereby increasing fall risk. RESEARCH QUESTION: Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the influence of compliant flooring (i...

BACKGROUND: Postural control measured during single-leg stance and single-leg hop stabilization has been used to estimate sensorimotor function in CAI individuals and copers. To date, studies have not used postural control tasks as a way of measuring responses to sudden changes in sensory information after simulated ankle inversion landings. RESEARCH QUESTION: A cross-sectional study was performed to identify any differences in static and dynamic postural control before and after simulated ankle inversion landings among individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI), copers, and healthy controls...

BACKGROUND: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of neuromotor diseases that develops as a result of damage to the developing central nervous system during the perinatal period. The condition is usually accompanied by musculoskeletal problems resulting in movement disorders. Gait improvement therefore, is an important part of its treatment. Roboticassisted gait training (RAGT) is a new potential rehabilitation tool for CP patients, however there is no clear evidence for the effectiveness of this method...

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the effects of wearing high-heeled shoes (HHS) on gait variability of the lower limbs when the treadmill speed was sinusoidally changed. METHODS: A total of 17 young females walked on a treadmill with HHS, HHS with detachable base sockets (HHS-Sockets), and low-heeled shoes (LHS) under sinusoidal speed-changing protocol of 60-s and 30-s periods with an amplitude of ± 0.56 m·s-1 . The time course of the joint elevation angles of the thigh, shank, and foot in one gait cycle can be well approximated like a plane in a triaxial space, so-called intersegmental coordination (IC)...

BACKGROUND: Cognitive interventions are among the effective training-on-gait parameters; however, the effects of such trainings on inter-joints coordination has not been much considered. RESEARCH QUESTION: Can dual task and executive function training affect inter-joint coordination during walking in elderly with poor balance? METHODS: Thirty elderly men were purposefully divided into three groups: 1) dual-task training group (DTG), 2) executive function training group (EFG) and 3) control group...

BACKGROUND: Concussions or musculoskeletal injuries may impair postural control, which is one diagnostic to help determine return-to-activity decisions. Postural control may be affected by diurnal rhythm. RESEARCH QUESTION: Does time of day influence postural control as measured by two Neurocom Balance Master diagnostic protocols, the Modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction on Balance (mCTSIB) and the Stability Evaluation Test (SET)? METHODS: Following Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, consented participants completed the SET and mCTSIB twice: between 0700 and 1000; and between 1600 and 1900...

BACKGROUND: The implementation of a strategy to control the hip angle during gait is important to avoid disease progression in patients with hip osteoarthritis (OA). RESEARCH QUESTION: Do patients with hip OA tend to stabilize their hip angles by a combination of whole-body movements during gait in terms of variability? METHODS: A public gait dataset comprising 80 asymptomatic participants and 106 patients with hip OA was used. Uncontrolled manifold analysis was performed using the joint angles as elemental variables and the hip joint angles as performance variables...

BACKGROUND: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) seems to facilitate and/or inhibit neural activity and improve motor function in neurological patients. However, it is important to confirm such improvements as well as determine the association between neurophysiological changes and the enhancement of motor control. RESEARCH QUESTION: Does the improvement of motor control in neurological patients after transcranial direct current stimulation translate into changes in the motor evoked potential? METHODS: A systematic electronic search strategy was employed to identify studies indexed in the PubMed, BIREME, and COCHRANE databases using a combination of search terms adapted to each database: transcranial direct current stimulation; evoked potential motor; and motor control...

BACKGROUND: Individuals with Chronic Ankle Instability (CAI) demonstrate altered gait mechanics, impaired proprioception, and decreased postural control. In addition, individuals with CAI have been found to have complex neurophysiological changes, including during dual-task perturbations. However, the results of studies on whether cognitive tasks affect postural control are inconclusive. RESEARCH QUESTION: Do individuals with CAI have worse dual-task performance compared to healthy controls? METHODS: We searched 4 electronic databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and SPORTDiscus) from inception to October 2022...

BACKGROUND: Real-world mobility involves walking in challenging conditions. Assessing gait during simultaneous physical and cognitive challenges provides insights on cognitive health. RESEARCH QUESTION: How does uneven surface, cognitive task, and their combination affect gait quality and does this gait performance relate to cognitive functioning? METHODS: Community-dwelling older adults (N = 104, age=75 ± 6 years, 60 % females) performed dual-task walking paradigms (even and uneven surface; with and without alphabeting cognitive task (ABC)) to mimic real-world demands...

BACKGROUND: Individuals with Hereditary Motor and Sensory Neuropathy (HMSN) are commonly provided with orthopedic footwear to improve gait. Although orthopedic footwear has shown to improve walking speed and spatiotemporal parameters, its effect on gait adaptability has not been established. RESEARCH QUESTION: What is the effect of orthopedic footwear on gait adaptability in individuals with HMSN? METHODS: Fifteen individuals with HMSN performed a precision stepping task on an instrumented treadmill projecting visual targets, while wearing either custom-made orthopedic or standardized footwear (i...

BACKGROUND: Sensory deficits in individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) play a critical role in balance control. However, there is a lack of effective interventions that address sensory facilitation to improve walking balance. Stochastic Resonance (SR) stimulation involves delivering sub threshold noise to improve balance in patients with sensory deficits by enhancing the detection of sensory input. RESEARCH QUESTION: To investigate the immediate effects of SR on walking balance in individuals with and without CP...

BACKGROUND: Movement intentions are generally classified by Electroencephalogram (EEG) and have been used in gait initiation prediction. However, it is not easy to collect EEG data and practical in reality. Alternatively, ground reaction force (GRF) and the center of pressure (COP) is produced by the contact between the foot and the ground during a specific period of walking, which are the characteristics of evaluating gait performance RESEARCH QUESTION: The study aims to use a deep learning technique to recognize the data of the COP and GRF to classify straight walking and right turn...

BACKGROUND: Understanding detailed foot morphology as well as regional plantar forces could provide insight into foot function and provide recommendation for footwear design for chronic ankle instability (CAI) people. RESEARCH QUESTION: This study presented 3-dimensional statistical shape models of feet from three different populations including CAI, copers and healthy individuals, with regional plantar forces also acquired. METHODS: Sixty-six males (22 participants per group) were included in this study to capture 3-dimensional foot shapes under a standing condition and regional plantar forces during a cutting maneuver...

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