Ground Reaction Forces in Children’s Gait

1989 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy L. Greer ◽  
Joseph Hamill ◽  
Kevin R. Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Ground Reaction Force ◽  
Reaction Force ◽  
Ground Reaction Forces ◽  
Vertical Force ◽  
Reaction Forces ◽  
Braking Force ◽  
Force Components ◽  
Age Range ◽  
Minimum Force

Ground reaction force patterns during walking were observed in 18 children 3 and 4 years of age. The children walked barefoot at a self-chosen walking pace. Selected variables representing the vertical, anteroposterior, and mediolateral force components were evaluated. The results indicated that children in this age range contact the ground with greater vertical force measures relative to body mass than do adults. In addition, the minimum vertical force was lower, the transition from braking to propulsion occurred earlier, and the mediolateral force excursions were higher than typically found in adults. When the children were divided into groups on the basis of sex, differences were observed between those groups. The boys exhibited a greater difference in the vertical peak forces, a lower minimum force, a greater braking force, and a higher mediolateral force excursion value. The results indicated that children display a different ground reaction force pattern than do adults and that differences between boys and girls may be observed as early as ages 3 and 4 years.

Leg design in hexapedal runners

1991 ◽  
Vol 158 (1) ◽  
pp. 369-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Full ◽  
R. Blickhan ◽  
L. H. Ting
Keyword(s):  
Ground Reaction Force ◽  
Mechanical Energy ◽  
Reaction Force ◽  
The Body ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Ground Reaction Forces ◽  
Vertical Force ◽  
Muscle Forces ◽  
Body Dynamics ◽  
Reaction Forces

Many-legged animals, such as crabs and cockroaches, utilize whole-body mechanics similar to that observed for running bipeds and trotting quadrupedal mammals. Despite the diversity in morphology, two legs in a quadrupedal mammal, three legs in an insect and four legs in a crab can function in the same way as one leg of a biped during ground contact. To explain how diverse leg designs can result in common whole-body dynamics, we used a miniature force platform to measure the ground reaction forces produced by individual legs of the cockroach Blaberus discoidalis. Hexapedal runners were not like quadrupeds with an additional set of legs. In trotting quadrupedal mammals each leg develops a similar ground reaction force pattern that sums to produce the whole-body pattern. At a constant average velocity, each leg pair of the cockroach was characterized by a unique ground reaction force pattern. The first leg decelerated the center of mass in the horizontal direction, whereas the third leg was used to accelerate the body. The second leg did both, much like legs in bipedal runners and quadrupedal trotters. Vertical force peaks for each leg were equal in magnitude. In general, peak ground reaction force vectors minimized joint moments and muscle forces by being oriented towards the coxal joints, which articulate with the body. Locomotion with a sprawled posture does not necessarily result in large moments around joints. Calculations on B. discoidalis showed that deviations from the minimum moments may be explained by considering the minimization of the summed muscle forces in more than one leg. Production of horizontal forces that account for most of the mechanical energy generated during locomotion can actually reduce total muscle force by directing the ground reaction forces through the leg joints. Whole-body dynamics common to two-, four-, six- and eight-legged runners is produced in six-legged runners by three pairs of legs that differ in orientation with respect to the body, generate unique ground reaction force patterns, but combine to function in the same way as one leg of a biped.

Vertical Ground Reaction Force Redistribution During Experimentally Induced Shoulder Lameness in Dogs

1994 ◽  
Vol 07 (04) ◽  
pp. 154-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. M. McLaughlin ◽  
J. K. Roush ◽  
Dominique Griffon
Keyword(s):  
Ground Reaction Force ◽  
Reaction Force ◽  
Total Force ◽  
Ground Reaction Forces ◽  
Vertical Force ◽  
Vertical Ground Reaction Force ◽  
Reaction Forces ◽  
Vertical Ground ◽  
Vertical Ground Reaction Forces ◽  
Surgically Induced

SummaryThe redistribution of vertical ground reaction forces after surgically induced forelimb lameness was evaluated in five Greyhounds at the walk. Vertical ground reaction forces were measured by force plate analysis before, three days, and seven days after a craniolateral approach to the shoulder was performed unilaterally in each dog.At day # 3, peak vertical force was significantly decreased in the operated forelimbs and in the ipsilateral hindlimbs. Peak vertical force was significantly increased in the contralateral fore- and hindlimbs. The total peak vertical force applied to both forelimbs did not change, nor did the total force applied to both hindlimbs. At day # 7, peak vertical force in each of the four limbs had returned to preoperative levels. Results of this study document the redistribution of ground reaction forces (at the walk) between the four limbs in the dog after an acute, surgically induced forelimb lameness.The redistribution of ground reaction force was evaluated in five Greyhounds before and during forelimb lameness. Lameness was induced by a craniolateral approach to one shoulder in each dog. At day # 3 after surgery, peak vertical force was decreased in the operated forelimbs and ipsilateral hindlimbs. Peak vertical force was increased in the contralateral fore- and hindlimbs. The distribution of ground reaction force in the four limbs returned to preoperative values seven days after surgery.

The Variability in Running Gait Caused by Force Plate Targeting

2001 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
John H. Challis
Keyword(s):  
Ground Reaction Force ◽  
Reaction Force ◽  
Force Plate ◽  
Human Gait ◽  
Ground Reaction Forces ◽  
Mean Velocity ◽  
Coefficients Of Variation ◽  
Reaction Forces ◽  
Vertical Ground Reaction Forces ◽  
Age Range

This study examined the influence of force plate targeting, via stride length adjustments, on the magnitude and consistency of ground reaction force and segment angle profiles of the stance phase of human running. Seven male subjects (height, 1.77 m ± 0.081; mass, 72.4 kg ± 7.52; age range, 23 to 32 years) were asked to run at a mean velocity of 3.2 m · s–1 under three conditions (normal, short, and long strides). Four trials were completed for each condition. For each trial, the ground reaction forces were measured and the orientations of the foot, shank, and thigh computed. There were no statistically significant differences (p > .05) between the coefficients of variation of ground reaction force and segment angle profiles under the three conditions, so these profiles were produced consistently. Peak active vertical ground reaction forces, their timings, and segment angles at foot off were not significantly different across conditions. In contrast, significant differences between conditions were found for peak vertical impact forces and their timings, and for the three lower limb segment angles at the start of force plate contact. These results have implications for human gait studies, which require subjects to target the force plate. Targeting may be acceptable depending on the variables to be analyzed.

scholarly journals Running ground reaction forces across footwear conditions are predicted from the motion of two body mass components

2019 ◽  
Vol 126 (5) ◽  
pp. 1315-1325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew B. Udofa ◽  
Kenneth P. Clark ◽  
Laurence J. Ryan ◽  
Peter G. Weyand
Keyword(s):  
Ground Reaction Force ◽  
Lower Limb ◽  
Reaction Force ◽  
Ground Reaction Forces ◽  
Vertical Ground Reaction Force ◽  
Time Patterns ◽  
Foot Strike ◽  
Reaction Forces ◽  
Vertical Ground ◽  
Force Time

Although running shoes alter foot-ground reaction forces, particularly during impact, how they do so is incompletely understood. Here, we hypothesized that footwear effects on running ground reaction force-time patterns can be accurately predicted from the motion of two components of the body’s mass (mb): the contacting lower-limb (m1 = 0.08mb) and the remainder (m2 = 0.92mb). Simultaneous motion and vertical ground reaction force-time data were acquired at 1,000 Hz from eight uninstructed subjects running on a force-instrumented treadmill at 4.0 and 7.0 m/s under four footwear conditions: barefoot, minimal sole, thin sole, and thick sole. Vertical ground reaction force-time patterns were generated from the two-mass model using body mass and footfall-specific measures of contact time, aerial time, and lower-limb impact deceleration. Model force-time patterns generated using the empirical inputs acquired for each footfall matched the measured patterns closely across the four footwear conditions at both protocol speeds ( r2 = 0.96 ± 0.004; root mean squared error  = 0.17 ± 0.01 body-weight units; n = 275 total footfalls). Foot landing angles (θF) were inversely related to footwear thickness; more positive or plantar-flexed landing angles coincided with longer-impact durations and force-time patterns lacking distinct rising-edge force peaks. Our results support three conclusions: 1) running ground reaction force-time patterns across footwear conditions can be accurately predicted using our two-mass, two-impulse model, 2) impact forces, regardless of foot strike mechanics, can be accurately quantified from lower-limb motion and a fixed anatomical mass (0.08mb), and 3) runners maintain similar loading rates (ΔFvertical/Δtime) across footwear conditions by altering foot strike angle to regulate the duration of impact. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Here, we validate a two-mass, two-impulse model of running vertical ground reaction forces across four footwear thickness conditions (barefoot, minimal, thin, thick). Our model allows the impact portion of the impulse to be extracted from measured total ground reaction force-time patterns using motion data from the ankle. The gait adjustments observed across footwear conditions revealed that runners maintained similar loading rates across footwear conditions by altering foot strike angles to regulate the duration of impact.

Ground reaction force and hoof deceleration patterns on two different surfaces at the trot

2006 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 209-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pia Gustås ◽  
Christopher Johnston ◽  
Stig Drevemo
Keyword(s):  
Ground Reaction Force ◽  
Reaction Force ◽  
Force Plate ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Ground Reaction Forces ◽  
Triaxial Accelerometer ◽  
Loading Rates ◽  
Sand Surface ◽  
Reaction Forces ◽  
Force Data

AbstractThe objective of the present study was to compare the hoof deceleration and ground reaction forces following impact on two different surfaces. Seven unshod Standardbreds were trotted by hand at 3.0–5.7 m s− 1 over a force plate covered by either of the two surfaces, sandpaper or a 1 cm layer of sand. Impact deceleration data were recorded from one triaxial accelerometer mounted on the fore- and hind hooves, respectively. Ground reaction force data were obtained synchronously from a force plate, sampled at 4.8 kHz. The differences between the two surfaces were studied by analysing representative deceleration and force variables for individual horses. The maximum horizontal peak deceleration and the loading rates of the vertical and the horizontal forces were significantly higher on sandpaper compared with the sand surface (P < 0.001). In addition, the initial vertical deceleration was significantly higher on sandpaper in the forelimb (P < 0.001). In conclusion, it was shown that the different qualities of the ground surface result in differences in the hoof-braking pattern, which may be of great importance for the strength of the distal horse limb also at slow speeds.

Correlation between Ground Reaction Force and Tibial Acceleration in Vertical Jumping

2007 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 180-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niell G. Elvin ◽  
Alex A. Elvin ◽  
Steven P. Arnoczky
Keyword(s):  
Ground Reaction Force ◽  
Reaction Force ◽  
Force Plate ◽  
Coefficient Of Determination ◽  
Ground Reaction Forces ◽  
Accelerometer Data ◽  
Jump Height ◽  
Vertical Jumping ◽  
Average Coefficient ◽  
Reaction Forces

Modern electronics allow for the unobtrusive measurement of accelerations outside the laboratory using wireless sensor nodes. The ability to accurately measure joint accelerations under unrestricted conditions, and to correlate them with jump height and landing force, could provide important data to better understand joint mechanics subject to real-life conditions. This study investigates the correlation between peak vertical ground reaction forces, as measured by a force plate, and tibial axial accelerations during free vertical jumping. The jump heights calculated from force-plate data and accelerometer measurements are also compared. For six male subjects participating in this study, the average coefficient of determination between peak ground reaction force and peak tibial axial acceleration is found to be 0.81. The coefficient of determination between jump height calculated using force plate and accelerometer data is 0.88. Data show that the landing forces could be as high as 8 body weights of the jumper. The measured peak tibial accelerations ranged up to 42 g. Jump heights calculated from force plate and accelerometer sensors data differed by less than 2.5 cm. It is found that both impact accelerations and landing forces are only weakly correlated with jump height (the average coefficient of determination is 0.12). This study shows that unobtrusive accelerometers can be used to determine the ground reaction forces experienced in a jump landing. Whereas the device also permitted an accurate determination of jump height, there was no correlation between peak ground reaction force and jump height.

scholarly journals Pirouette Vertical Ground Reaction Force of Ballet Dancers and Non-Dancers

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 53-61
Author(s):  
Cynthia Hiraga ◽  
Camila Siriani ◽  
Paulo Ricardo Higassiaraguti Rocha ◽  
Débora Alves Souza ◽  
José Angelo Barela
Keyword(s):  
Ground Reaction Force ◽  
Reaction Force ◽  
Vertical Force ◽  
Ballet Dancer ◽  
Vertical Ground Reaction Force ◽  
Ballet Dancers ◽  
Dance Training ◽  
Reaction Forces ◽  
Vertical Ground ◽  
Initial Impulse

BACKGROUND: Different amounts of force are needed to produce an effective turn for the pirouette, especially vertical force. AIM: To examine the vertical force produced by the supporting leg during the execution of a pirouette en dehors of ballet dancer and non-dancer participants. METHOD: The participants included five ballet dancers who composed the ballet dancer group and eight girls without previous experience of dance training who composed the non-dancer group. The participants were invited to execute the pirouette en dehors on a force platform with each leg as the supporting leg. Two-way analyses of variance were used to test vertical reaction forces between the two groups over the preferred and non-preferred leg. RESULTS: Among the three vertical forces measured in the present study, the maximum vertical peak for the initial impulse was significantly higher for the ballet dancers compared to the non-dancer girls. The minimum vertical force and maximum vertical peak for the final impulse were similar between both groups. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the initial vertical force may be critical to the pirouette en dehors, determining proficient execution of this movement in ballet dancers.

A Nonlinear Leg Damping Model for the Prediction of Running Forces and Stability

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Abraham ◽  
ZhuoHua Shen ◽  
Justin Seipel
Keyword(s):  
Ground Reaction Force ◽  
Reaction Force ◽  
Energetic Cost ◽  
Ground Reaction Forces ◽  
Slip Model ◽  
Damping Force ◽  
Reaction Forces ◽  
Linear Damping ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Damping Model

Despite the neuromechanical complexity underlying animal locomotion, the steady-state center-of-mass motions and ground reaction forces of animal running can be predicted by simple spring-mass models such as the canonical spring-loaded inverted pendulum (SLIP) model. Such SLIP models have been useful for the fields of biomechanics and robotics in part because ground reaction forces are commonly measured and readily available for comparing with model predictions. To better predict the stability of running, beyond the canonical conservative SLIP model, more recent extensions have been proposed and investigated with hip actuation and linear leg damping (e.g., hip-actuated SLIP). So far, these attempts have gained improved prediction of the stability of locomotion but have led to a loss of the ability to accurately predict ground reaction forces. Unfortunately, the linear damping utilized in current models leads to an unrealistic prediction of damping force and ground reaction force with a large nonzero magnitude at touchdown (TD). Here, we develop a leg damping model that is bilinear in leg length and velocity in order to yield improved damping force and ground reaction force prediction. We compare the running ground reaction forces, small and large perturbation stability, parameter sensitivity, and energetic cost resulting from both the linear and bilinear damping models. We found that bilinear damping helps to produce more realistic, smooth vertical ground reaction forces, thus fixing the current problem with the linear damping model. Despite large changes in the damping force and power loss profile during the stance phase, the overall dynamics and energetics on a stride-to-stride basis of the two models are largely the same, implying that the integrated effect of damping over a stride is what matters most to the stability and energetics of running. Overall, this new model, an actuated SLIP model with bilinear damping, can provide significantly improved prediction of ground reaction forces as well as stability and energetics of locomotion.

scholarly journals Validation of the wearable sensor system - MoveSole® smart insoles

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Antti Alamäki ◽  
Elina Nevala ◽  
Juha Jalovaara ◽  
John Barton ◽  
Salvatore Tedesco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Measurement System ◽  
Ground Reaction Force ◽  
Gait Speed ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Reaction Force ◽  
Reference Method ◽  
Biomechanical Analysis ◽  
Heel Strike ◽  
Ground Reaction Forces ◽  
Reaction Forces

Biomechanical analysis of gait is commonly used in physiotherapy. Ground reaction forces during phases of gait is one element of kinetic analysis. In this article, we analyze if the MoveSole® smart insole is valid and accurate equipment for measuring ground reaction forces in clinical physiotherapy. MoveSole® StepLab is a mobile measurement system for instant underfoot force measurements during gait. Unique electromagnetic film (EMFI) based sensor technology and printed electronics production technology is integrated in the MoveSole® StepLab measurement system. The MoveSole® StepLab measures plantar ground reaction force distribution over the sensors and provides an estimation of the maximum total ground reaction force. We developed a two phase validation process to extract relevant parameters and compared the results to a Kistler force plate using the BioWare® analyzing program as a reference method. Our results show that MoveSole® smart insoles reach the strong level of accuracy needed in clinical work concerning highest ground reaction forces during step (Pearson correlation .822 - .875). The correlation of the time when the maximum ground reaction force occurred was moderate, e.g. during heel strike or toe-off (Pearson correlation natural gait speed .351 - .462, maximum gait speed .430). Our conclusion is that MoveSole® smart insoles are a potential tool for analyzing and monitoring gait ground reaction forces during physiotherapy processes.

scholarly journals Ground Reaction Force Comparison Between Barefoot and Shod Single Leg Landing at Varied Heights

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Jocelyn E. Arnett ◽  
Cameron D. Addie ◽  
Ludmila M. Cosio-Lima ◽  
Lee E. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Ground Reaction Force ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Reaction Force ◽  
Force Plate ◽  
Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Ground Reaction Forces ◽  
Repeated Measures Anova ◽  
Main Effect ◽  
Reaction Forces ◽  
Main Effects

Background: Landing is a common movement that occurs in many sports. Barefoot research has gained popularity in examining how shoes alter natural movements. However, it is unknown how a single leg landing under barefoot conditions, as well as landing height, affects ground reaction forces (GRF). Objective: The purpose of this research was to examine the differences in GRF during a single leg landing under barefoot and shod conditions from various heights. Methods: Sixteen female Division II collegiate athletes, 8 basketball (age: 19.88 ± 0.64 yrs; height: 1.77 ± 0.09 m; mass: 75.76 ± 12.97 kg) and 8 volleyball (age: 20.00 ± 1.07 yrs; height: 1.74 ± 0.08 m; mass: 72.41 ± 5.41 kg), performed single leg landings from 12, 18, 24, and 30 inches barefoot and shod. An AMTI AccuGait force plate was used to record GRF. A 2 (condition) x 4 (box height) x 2 (sport) repeated measures ANOVA was performed to determine any GRF differences. Results: There were no significant three way or two-way interactions (p > 0.05). There was also no main effect for sport (p > 0.05). There were main effects for footwear and box height (p = 0.000) where shod (2295.121 ± 66.025 N) had greater impact than barefoot (2090.233 ± 62.684 N). Conclusions: Single leg barefoot landings resulted in less vertical GRF than shod landings. This could be due to increased flexion at the joints which aids in force absorption.

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