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Abstract
[Purpose] This study investigated the effect of different gait speeds on the muscle
activities of the latissimus dorsi and gluteus maximus muscles in relation to the
posterior oblique sling system. [Subjects] We recruited 14 young adult males. [Methods]
We
measured the left latissimus dorsi muscle activity and right gluteus maximus muscle
activity of all subjects while they walked on a treadmill at speeds of 1.5 km/h, 3.5 km/h
and 5.5 km/h. [Results] There was a significant increase in latissimus dorsi muscle
activity with a treadmill speed of 5.5 km/h compared with 1.5 km/h and 3.5 km/h. The
gluteus maximus muscle activity significantly increased in the order of 1.5 km/h <
3.5 km/h < 5.5 km/h. [Conclusion] The present results indicate that arm swing connected
to increasing gait speed influences the muscle activity of the lower limbs through
the
posterior oblique sling system.
From the mechanical point of view the spinal system is highly complex, containing a multitude of components, passive and active. In fact, even if the active components (the muscles) were exchanged by passive springs, the total number of elements considerably exceeds the minimum needed to maintain static equilibrium. In other words, the system is statically highly indeterminate. The particular role of the active components at static equilibrium is to enable a virtually arbitrary choice of posture, independent of the distribution and magnitude of the outer load albeit within physiological limits. Simultaneously this implies that ordinary procedures known from the analysis of mechanical systems with passive components cannot be applied. Hence the distribution of the forces over the different elements is not uniquely determined. Consequently nervous control of the force distribution over the muscles is needed, but little is known about how this achieved. This lack of knowledge implies great difficulties at numerical simulation of equilibrium states of the spinal system. These difficulties remain even if considerable reductions are made, such as the assumption that the thoracic cage behaves like a rigid body. A particularly useful point of view about the main principles of the force distributions appears to be the distinction between a local and a global system of muscles engaged in the equilibrium of the lumbar spine. The local system consists of muscles with insertion or origin (or both) at lumbar vertebrae, whereas the global system consists of muscles with origin on the pelvis and insertions on the thoracic cage. Given the posture of the lumbar spine, the force distribution over the local system appears to be essentially independent of the outer load of the body (though the force magnitudes are, of course, dependent on the magnitude of this load). Instead different distributions of the outer load on the body are met by different distributions of the forces in the global system. Thus, roughly speaking, the global system appears to take care of different distributions of outer forces on the body, whereas the local system performs an action, which is essentially locally determined (i.e. by the posture of the lumbar spine). The present work focuses on the upright standing posture with different degree of lumbar lordosis. The outer load is assumed to consist of weights carried on the shoulders. By reduction of the number of unknown forces, which is done by using a few different principles, a unique determination of the total force distributions at static equilibrium is obtained.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
The aim of the present study was to examine the functional adaptations in inter-segmental coordination when constraining one arm in healthy adults during treadmill walking at different velocities. Subjects were instructed to walk on a motorized treadmill at different walking velocities (range: 0.22-1.52 m/s) during three experimental conditions, i.e.: (1) no arm constraint, (2) dominant arm constrained, and (3) non-dominant arm constrained. Movements of body segments were recorded with a 3D motion analysis system. A comparison between walking with one arm constrained and normal walking revealed decreased, transverse pelvic, thoracic, and trunk rotation, however there were slight increases in non-constrained arm movement amplitude. Reduced arm movement amplitude did result in altered frequency and phase relations between the arm and leg. Persons with upper extremity movement dysfunction may walk slower due to atypical coordination between upper and lower body movement at higher walking velocities. Future studies should focus on examining the underlying dynamics of adaptations in inter-limb and trunk coordination during walking in both healthy adults and persons with upper extremity movement disorders.
We propose a new method for calibrating force plates to reduce errors in center of pressure locations, forces, and moments. These errors may be caused by imperfect mounting of force plates to the ground or by installation of a treadmill atop a force plate, which may introduce distorting loads. The method, termed the Post-Installation Least-Squares (PILS) calibration, combines features of several previous methods into a simple procedure. It requires a motion capture system and an instrumented pole for applying reference loads. Reference loads may be manually applied to the force plate in arbitrary locations and directions. The instrumented pole measures applied load magnitudes through a single-axis load cell, and load directions through motion capture markers. Reference data and imperfect force plate signals are then combined to form a linear calibration matrix that simultaneously minimizes mean square errors in all forces and moments. We applied the procedure to standard laboratory force plates, as well as a custom-built, split-belt force treadmill. We also collected an independent set of verification data for testing. The proposed calibration procedure was found to reduce force errors by over 20%, and moment errors by over 60%. Center of pressure errors were also reduced by 63% for standard force plates and 91% for the force treadmill. The instrumented pole is advantageous because it allows for fast and arbitrary load application without needing a precise fixture for aligning loads. The linear calibration matrix is simpler than nonlinear correction equations and more compatible with standard data acquisition software, yet it yields error reductions comparable to more complex methods.
Publisher:
The Society of Physical Therapy Science
ISSN
(Print):
0915-5287
ISSN
(Electronic):
2187-5626
Publication date
(Electronic):
11
December
2013
Publication date
(Print):
November
2013
Volume: 25
Issue: 11
Pages: 1391-1392
Affiliations
[1)
] Department of Physical Therapy, Graduate School, Inje
University, Republic of Korea
[2)
] Department of Physical Therapy, College of Biomedical
Science and Engineering, Inje University, Republic of Korea
Author notes
[*
]Corresponding author. Won-gyu Yoo, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Biomedical
Science and Engineering, Inje University: 607 Obang-dong, Gimhae, Gyeongsangnam-do
621-749, Republic of Korea. (e-mail:
won7y@
123456inje.ac.kr
)
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