Muscle activity reduces soft-tissue resonance at heel-strike during walking

2003 ◽  
Vol 36 (12) ◽  
pp. 1761-1769 ◽  
Author(s):  
James M. Wakeling ◽  
Anna-Maria Liphardt ◽  
Benno M. Nigg
Keyword(s):  
Soft Tissue ◽  
Muscle Activity ◽  
Heel Strike

Changes in Muscle Activity in Response to Different Impact Forces Affect Soft Tissue Compartment Mechanical Properties

2006 ◽  
Vol 129 (4) ◽  
pp. 594-602 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine A. Boyer ◽  
Benno M. Nigg
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Soft Tissue ◽  
Muscle Activity ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Joint Stiffness ◽  
Heel Strike ◽  
Emg Activity ◽  
Tissue Compartment ◽  
Tissue Compartments ◽  
The Impact

Electromyographic (EMG) activity is associated with several tasks prior to landing in walking and running including positioning the leg, developing joint stiffness and possibly control of soft tissue compartment vibrations. The concept of muscle tuning suggests one reason for changes in muscle activity pattern in response to small changes in impact conditions, if the frequency content of the impact is close to the natural frequency of the soft tissue compartments, is to minimize the magnitude of soft tissue compartment vibrations. The mechanical properties of the soft tissue compartments depend in part on muscle activations and thus it was hypothesized that changes in the muscle activation pattern associated with different impact conditions would result in a change in the acceleration transmissibility to the soft tissue compartments. A pendulum apparatus was used to systematically administer impacts to the heel of shod male participants. Wall reaction forces, EMG of selected leg muscles, soft tissue compartment and shoe heel cup accelerations were quantified for two different impact conditions. The transmissibility of the impact acceleration to the soft tissue compartments was determined for each subject/soft tissue compartment/shoe combination. For this controlled impact situation it was shown that changes in the damping properties of the soft tissue compartments were related to changes in the EMG intensity and/or mean frequency of related muscles in response to a change in the impact interface conditions. These results provide support for the muscle tuning idea—that one reason for the changes in muscle activity in response to small changes in the impact conditions may be to minimize vibrations of the soft tissue compartments that are initiated at heel-strike.

Muscle activity damps the soft tissue resonance that occurs in response to pulsed and continuous vibrations

2002 ◽  
Vol 93 (3) ◽  
pp. 1093-1103 ◽  
Author(s):  
James M. Wakeling ◽  
Benno M. Nigg ◽  
Antra I. Rozitis
Keyword(s):  
Soft Tissue ◽  
Natural Frequency ◽  
Muscle Activity ◽  
Soft Tissues ◽  
Excitation Frequency ◽  
Triceps Surae ◽  
Heel Strike ◽  
Mechanical Stimuli ◽  
Frequency Range ◽  
Vibrating Platform

This study tested the hypotheses that when the excitation frequency of mechanical stimuli to the foot was close to the natural frequency of the soft tissues of the lower extremity, the muscle activity increases 1) the natural frequency and 2) the damping to minimize resonance. Soft tissue vibrations were measured with triaxial accelerometers, and muscle activity was measured by using surface electromyography from the quadriceps, hamstrings, tibialis anterior, and triceps surae groups from 20 subjects. Subjects were presented vibrations while standing on a vibrating platform. Both continuous vibrations and pulsed bursts of vibrations were presented, across the frequency range of 10–65 Hz. Elevated muscle activity and increased damping of vibration power occurred when the frequency of the input was close to the natural frequency of each soft tissue. However, the natural frequency of the soft tissues did not change in a manner that correlated with the frequency of the input. It is suggested that soft tissue damping may be the mechanism by which resonance is minimized at heel strike during running.

Developing an Active Ankle Foot Orthosis Based on Shape Memory Alloy Actuators

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ehsan Tarkesh ◽  
Mohammad H. Elahinia ◽  
Mohamed Samir Hefzy
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Cerebral Palsy ◽  
Shape Memory Alloy ◽  
Shape Memory ◽  
Muscle Activity ◽  
Heel Strike ◽  
Drop Foot ◽  
Ankle Foot Orthosis ◽  
Foot Orthosis

This paper is on development of an active ankle foot orthosis (AAFO). This device will fill the gap in the existing research aimed at helping patients with drop foot muscle deficiencies as well as rehabilitation activities. Drop foot patients are unable to lift their foot because of reduced or no muscle activity around the ankle. The major causes of drop foot are severing of the nerve, stroke, cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis. There are two common complications from drop foot. First, the patient cannot control the falling of their foot after heel strike, so that it slaps the ground on every step. The second complication is the inability to clear the toe during swing. This causes the patients to drag their toe on the ground throughout the swing.

Development of anticipatory postural adjustments during locomotion in children

1992 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 542-550 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Hirschfeld ◽  
H. Forssberg
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Activity ◽  
Swing Phase ◽  
Anticipatory Postural Adjustments ◽  
Heel Strike ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Postural Adjustments ◽  
Postural Activity ◽  
Postural Responses ◽  
Postural Muscle ◽  
Support Phase

1. Anticipatory postural adjustments were studied in children (6-14 yr of age) walking on a treadmill while pulling a handle. Electromyographs (EMGs) and movements were recorded from the left arm and leg. 2. Postural activity in the leg muscles preceded voluntary arm muscle activity in all age groups, including the youngest children (6 yr of age). The latency to both leg and arm muscle activity, from a triggering audio signal, decreased with age. 3. In older children the latency to both voluntary and postural activity was influenced by the phase of the step cycle. The shortest latency to the first activated postural muscle occurred during single support phase in combination with a long latency to arm muscle activity. 4. In the youngest children, there was no phase-dependent modulation of the latency to the activation of the postural muscles. The voluntary activity was delayed during the beginning of the support phase resulting in a long delay between leg and arm muscle activity. 5. The postural muscle activation pattern was modified in a phase-dependent manner in all children. Lateral gastrocnemius (LG) and hamstring muscles (HAM) were activated during the early support phase, whereas tibialis anterior (TA) and quadriceps (Q) muscles were activated during the late support phase and during the swing phase. However, in the 6-yr-old children, LG was also activated in the swing phase. LG was activated before the HAM activity in the youngest children but after HAM in 14-yr-old children and adults. 6. The occurrence of LG activity in postural responses before heel strike suggests an immature (nonplantigrade) gating of postural activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effect of Thigh-Compression Shorts on Muscle Activity and Soft-Tissue Vibration During Cycling

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 2145-2152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frédérique Hintzy ◽  
Nicolas Gregoire ◽  
Pierre Samozino ◽  
Xavier Chiementin ◽  
William Bertucci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soft Tissue ◽  
Muscle Activity

INFLUENCE OF GENDER ON GASTROCNEMIUS MUSCLE ACTIVITY DURING THE STANCE PHASE OF GAIT

2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (02) ◽  
pp. 1250011
Author(s):  
Thomas A. Abelew ◽  
Brian J. Cuda ◽  
Jonathan E. Koontz ◽  
Julia C. Stell ◽  
Marie A. Johanson
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Activity ◽  
Knee Flexion ◽  
Stance Phase ◽  
Gastrocnemius Muscle ◽  
Heel Strike ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Ankle Kinematics ◽  
Stance Time ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Gastrocnemius Muscles

Purpose: Differences in muscle activity have been observed between men and women in numerous lower extremity muscles in a variety of activities. These differences may be related to observed differences in the incidence of injuries between men and women. The purpose of this work is to determine if gender had an effect on the activity of the medial and lateral gastrocnemius muscles during the early part of the stance phase of gait. Method: An observational cohort study was set up using sixteen volunteers (9 men and 7 women, mean age = 27 years) with less than 5° of passive ankle-dorsiflexion range of motion. Maximum dorsiflexion, maximum knee flexion, stance time and EMG magnitude were measured for both men and women during early stance (heel strike to heel off). Results: EMG amplitude of the LG muscle in women was significantly higher than that of men. No significant differences were observed between men and women for maximum dorsiflexion, maximum knee flexion or stance time. Conclusions: A gender difference in gastrocnemius muscle EMG magnitude exists that is independent of knee and ankle kinematics and walking speed.

scholarly journals Soft-tissue vibration and damping response to footwear changes across a wide range of anthropometrics in running

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0256296
Author(s):  
Anja-Verena Behling ◽  
Marlene Giandolini ◽  
Vinzenz von Tscharner ◽  
Benno Maurus Nigg
Keyword(s):  
Soft Tissue ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Damping Coefficient ◽  
Heel Strike ◽  
Damping Coefficients ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Dominant Vibration Frequency ◽  
Tissue Compartments ◽  
Total Muscle

Different factors were shown to alter the vibration characteristics of soft-tissue compartments during running. Changing pre-heel strike muscle activation or changing footwear conditions represents two possibilities to influence the vibration response via frequency shift or altered damping. Associated with the study of muscle pre-tuning is the difficulty in quantifying clean experimental data for the acceleration of soft-tissue compartments and muscle activities in heterogeneous populations. The purpose of this study was to determine the vibration and pre-tuning response to footwear across a wide range of participants during running and establish and describe groups formed according to the damping coefficient. 32 subjects were used for further analysis. The subjects ran at a self-selected speed (5 min) on a treadmill in two different shoes (soft & hard), while soft-tissue accelerations and muscle activation at the gastrocnemius medialis were quantified. Damping coefficients, total muscle intensity and dominant vibration frequencies were determined. Anthropometrics and skinfold measurements of the lower limbs were obtained. According to the damping coefficient response to the footwear intervention, three groups were formed, with most runners (n = 20) showing less damping in the hard shoe. Total muscle intensity, anthropometrics, and dominant vibration frequency across footwear were not different for these three groups. Most runners (84.4%) used the strategy of adjusting the damping coefficients significantly when switching footwear. Despite damping being the preferred adjustment to changes in footwear, muscle pre-tuning might not be the only mechanism to influence damping as previously suggested. Future studies should focus on the subject-specific composition of soft-tissue compartments to elucidate their contribution to vibrations.

Effects of In-Shoe Midsole Cushioning on Leg Muscle Balance and Co-Contraction with Increased Heel Height During Walking

2018 ◽  
Vol 108 (6) ◽  
pp. 449-457 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kit-lun Yick ◽  
Ka-lai Yeung ◽  
Del P. Wong ◽  
Yee-nee Lam ◽  
Sun-pui Ng
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Activity ◽  
Tibialis Anterior ◽  
Heel Strike ◽  
Acute Effects ◽  
Lateral Gastrocnemius ◽  
Heel Height ◽  
Muscle Balance ◽  
Leg Muscle ◽  
Gastrocnemius Muscles ◽  
Shoe Wear

Background: The midsole is an essential assembly of footwear for retaining the shape of the shoe, delivering support to the foot, and serving as a cushioning and stability device for walking. To improve leg muscle balance and muscle co-contraction, we propose a new midsole design for high heels with different hardness levels at the forefoot region. Methods: Five healthy women participated in the study, with a mean ± SD age of 21.80 ± 4.09 years, and duration of high-heeled shoe wear of 5.20 ± 4.09 years. Two midsole conditions, control and multiple-hardness midsole (MHM), with heel heights of 2 (flat), 5, and 8 cm were used. The main outcome measures were to examine the acute effects of MHM by electromyography on muscle activity balance and co-contraction at varying heel heights during shuttle walk. Results: Use of the MHM significantly reduced the muscle activity ratio between the medial and lateral gastrocnemius muscles (P = .043) during push-off to heel strike with a heel height of 5 cm (−22.74%) and heel strike to midstance with a heel height of 8 cm (−22.26%). The increased co-contraction indices of the tibialis anterior–peroneus longus muscles (14.35% with an 8-cm heel height) and tibialis anterior–soleus muscles (15.18% with a 5-cm heel height) are significant (P = .043), with a large effect size (d = 0.8). Conclusions: These results deliver important implications in advancing the engineering of MHM design without changing the in-shoe volume to enhance leg muscle balance and co-contraction during walking.

Effect of Stretching on Ankle and Knee Angles and Gastrocnemius Activity during the Stance Phase of Gait

2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 521-534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie A. Johanson ◽  
Brian J. Cuda ◽  
Jonathan E. Koontz ◽  
Julia C. Stell ◽  
Thomas A. Abelew
Keyword(s):  
Range Of Motion ◽  
Outcome Measures ◽  
Muscle Activity ◽  
Gastrocnemius Muscle ◽  
Knee Extension ◽  
Ankle Dorsiflexion ◽  
Heel Strike ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Gastrocnemius Muscles ◽  
Experimental Group

Context:Stretching exercises are commonly prescribed for patients and healthy individuals with limited extensibility of the gastrocnemius muscle.Objective:To determine effects of gastrocnemius stretching on ankle dorsiflexion, knee extension, and gastrocnemius muscle activity during gait.Design:Randomized-control trial.Setting:Biomechanical laboratory.Participants:Sixteen volunteers (9 men and 7 women, mean age = 27 y) with less than 5° of passive ankle-dorsiflexion range of motion randomly assigned to an experimental or control group.Intervention:The experimental group performed gastrocnemius stretching for 3 wk.Main Outcome Measures:Maximum ankle dorsiflexion, maximum knee extension, and EMG amplitude of the gastrocnemius muscles were measured between heel strike and heel-off before and after intervention.Results:No significant effect of group or time was found on maximum ankle dorsiflexion, maximum knee extension, or EMG activity of the medial or lateral gastrocnemius muscles between heel strike and heel-off. The experimental group had significantly greater passive ankle-dorsiflexion range of motion bilaterally at posttest than the control group.Conclusions:Stretching did not alter joint angles or gastrocnemius muscle activity in the early to midstance phase of gait.

In Vivo Forces in the Plantar Fascia During the Stance Phase of Gait

2003 ◽  
Vol 93 (6) ◽  
pp. 429-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin D. Ward ◽  
Kevin M. Smith ◽  
Jay R. Cocheba ◽  
Patrick E. Patterson ◽  
Robert D. Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Activity ◽  
Plantar Fasciitis ◽  
Subtalar Joint ◽  
Stance Phase ◽  
Plantar Fascia ◽  
Heel Strike ◽  
Cadaveric Specimen ◽  
Orthopedic Medicine ◽  
Loading System

Plantar fasciotomies have become commonplace in podiatric and orthopedic medicine for the treatment of plantar fasciitis. However, several complications have been associated with plantar fascial release. It has been speculated that the cause of these complications is excessive release of the plantar fascia. The aim of this project was to determine whether the amount of fascia released, from medial to lateral, causes a significant increase in force in the remaining fascia. A dynamic loading system was developed that allowed a cadaveric specimen to replicate the stance phase of gait. The system was capable of applying appropriate muscle forces to the extrinsic tendons on the foot and replicating the in vivo timing of the muscle activity while applying force to the tibia and fibula from heel strike to toe-off. As the plantar fascia was sequentially released from medial to lateral, from intact to 33% released to 66% released, the real-time force and the duration of force in the remaining fascia increased significantly, and the force was shifted later in propulsion. In addition, the subtalar joint was unable to resupinate as the amount of fascia release increased, indicating a direct relationship between the medial band of the plantar fascia and resupination of the subtalar joint during late midstance and propulsion. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 93(6): 429-442, 2003)

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