scholarly journals Characterization of Anticipatory Postural Adjustments in Lateral Stepping: Impact of Footwear and Lower Limb Preference

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (24) ◽  
pp. 8244
Author(s):  
Yuri Russo ◽  
Dragan Marinkovic ◽  
Borislav Obradovic ◽  
Giuseppe Vannozzi
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Lower Limb ◽  
Force Plate ◽  
Motor Task ◽  
Anticipatory Postural Adjustments ◽  
Postural Adjustments ◽  
Spatiotemporal Parameters ◽  
Base Of Support ◽  
Force Plate Data

Lateral stepping is a motor task that is widely used in everyday life to modify the base of support, change direction, and avoid obstacles. Anticipatory Postural Adjustments (APAs) are often analyzed to describe postural preparation prior to forward stepping, however, little is known about lateral stepping. The aim of the study is to characterize APAs preceding lateral steps and to investigate how these are affected by footwear and lower limb preference. Twenty-two healthy young participants performed a lateral step using both their preferred and non-preferred leg in both barefoot and shod conditions. APA spatiotemporal parameters (size, duration, and speed) along both the anteroposterior and mediolateral axes were obtained through force plate data. APAs preceding lateral stepping showed typical patterns both along the anteroposterior and mediolateral axis. RM-ANOVA highlighted a significant effect of footwear only on medio-lateral APAs amplitude (p = 0.008) and velocity (p = 0.037). No differences were found for the limb preference. APAs in lateral stepping presented consistent features in the sagittal component, regardless of limb/shoe factors. Interestingly, the study observed that footwear induced an increase in the medio-lateral APAs size and velocity, highlighting the importance of including this factor when studying lateral stepping.

scholarly journals Anticipatory Postural Adjustments in Dart Throwing

2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grzegorz Juras ◽  
Kajetan Słomka
Keyword(s):  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Training Session ◽  
Motor Task ◽  
Anticipatory Postural Adjustments ◽  
The Body ◽  
Target Size ◽  
Postural Adjustments ◽  
Dart Throwing ◽  
Task Parameters ◽  
Kinetics Of

The aim of this study was to explore the effects of accuracy constraints on the characteristics of anticipatory postural adjustments (APA) in a task that involves a movement consisting of a controlled phase and a ballistic phase. It was hypothesized that APA scaling with task parameters (target size) would be preserved even when the task is performed by muscles that have no direct effects on APA. Sixteen healthy right handed subjects participated in the study. All participants had no prior experience in dart throwing. Subjects’ average age was 24.1 ± 1.9 years. A force platform and a motion capture system were used to register kinetics of the body and kinematics of the throwing arm and throwing accuracy. The experiment consisted of six series of twenty consecutive dart throws to a specified target. Target sizes (T2-T6) were set at 25%, 50%, 75%, 125% and 150% of target 1 (T1) initially set as the spread of the last 20 throws in a 50 throw training session. This allowed to distinguish six indexes of difficulty (ID’s) ranging from 2,9 to 5,9. A one-way ANOVA for repeated measures was used for statistical analysis. Results of ANOVA showed a significant effect of target size at Constant Error but no effect at APA time. There were also no significant differences between hit and miss throws. From a control perspective, it can be stated that changes in central commands did not lead to changes in APA time in the analyzed motor task.

scholarly journals Effect of ball position on the risk of injury to the lower limb joints during the hockey sweep pass in women

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. e000582
Author(s):  
Jasmine N Aikman ◽  
Graham P Arnold ◽  
Sadiq Nasir ◽  
Weijie W Wang ◽  
Rami Abboud
Keyword(s):  
Motion Analysis ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Lower Limb ◽  
Force Plate ◽  
The Other ◽  
Risk Of Injury ◽  
Excessive Strain ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Spss Software ◽  
Force Plate Data

ObjectivesThis study aimed to determine if ball position influences the risk of lower limb non-contact injury in hockey sweep pass. It also aimed to determine a ball position that minimises excessive strain placed on the lower limb joints of the lead leg during the sweep pass.MethodsA cohort of 18 female hockey-playing volunteers (age: 19.7±1.5 years; height: 165.5±5.4 cm; body mass: 66.4±7.0 kg) were recruited. Participants performed the sweep pass using three different ball positions: in front, in line with, and behind the heel of the lead (left) foot.Motion analysis and force plate data were collected. Moments and angles in all three planes of motion for the three main lower limb joints were then calculated using Vicon software. Results were statistically analysed using SPSS software.ResultsSignificant differences (p<0.05) were found between the three tested ball positions for the mean maximum angles and moments, and mean ranges of motion produced at the lead three main lower limb joints. Positioning the ball in line with the heel of the lead foot resulted in the lowest moments and angles when compared with the other two ball positions.ConclusionsThe results indicate that positioning the ball in line with the heel of the lead foot is recommended to minimise the risk of injury to the lower limb joints during the hockey sweep pass. It is hoped that these findings will result in this position being implemented by players new to hockey or those returning to the sport following injury.

scholarly journals Validity of load rate estimation using accelerometers during physical activity on an anti-gravity treadmill

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 205566832092955
Author(s):  
Susan Nazirizadeh ◽  
Maria Stokes ◽  
Nigel K Arden ◽  
Alexander IJ Forrester
Keyword(s):  
Lower Limb ◽  
Force Plate ◽  
Degenerative Joint Disease ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Joint Disease ◽  
Acceleration Data ◽  
Load Rate ◽  
Data Points ◽  
Healthy Participants ◽  
Force Plate Data

Introduction A simple tool to estimate loading on the lower limb joints outside a laboratory may be useful for people who suffer from degenerative joint disease. Here, the accelerometers on board of wearables (smartwatch, smartphone) were used to estimate the load rate on the lower limbs and were compared to data from a treadmill force plate. The aim was to assess the validity of wearables to estimate load rate transmitted through the joints. Methods Twelve healthy participants (female n = 4, male n = 8; aged 26 ± 3 years; height: 175 ± 15 cm; body mass: 71 ± 9 kg) carried wearables, while performing locomotive activities on an anti-gravity treadmill with an integrated force plate. Acceleration data from the wearables and force plate data were used to estimate the load rate. The treadmill enabled 7680 data points to be obtained, allowing a good estimate of uncertainty to be examined. A linear regression model and cross-validation with 1000 bootstrap resamples were used to assess the validation. Results Significant correlation was found between load rate from the force plate and wearables (smartphone: [Formula: see text]; smartwatch: [Formula: see text]). Conclusion Wearables’ accelerometers can estimate load rate, and the good correlation with force plate data supports their use as a surrogate when assessing lower limb joint loading in field environments.

scholarly journals A Novel Viewpoint on the Anticipatory Postural Adjustments During Gait Initiation

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronica Farinelli ◽  
Francesco Bolzoni ◽  
Silvia Maria Marchese ◽  
Roberto Esposti ◽  
Paolo Cavallari
Keyword(s):  
Center Of Pressure ◽  
Force Plate ◽  
Anticipatory Postural Adjustments ◽  
The Body ◽  
Erector Spinae ◽  
Trunk Muscles ◽  
Gait Initiation ◽  
Concentrated Force ◽  
Postural Adjustments ◽  
Leg Muscles

Anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) are the coordinated muscular activities that precede the voluntary movements to counteract the associated postural perturbations. Many studies about gait initiation call APAs those activities that precede the heel-off of the leading foot, thus taking heel-off as the onset of voluntary movement. In particular, leg muscles drive the center of pressure (CoP) both laterally, to shift the body weight over the trailing foot and backward, to create a disequilibrium torque pushing forward the center of mass (CoM). However, since subjects want to propel their body rather than lift their foot, the onset of gait should be the CoM displacement, which starts with the backward CoP shift. If so, the leg muscles driving such a shift are the prime movers. Moreover, since the disequilibrium torque is mechanically equivalent to a forward force acting at the pelvis level, APAs should be required to link the body segments to the pelvis: distributing such concentrated force throughout the body would make all segments move homogeneously. In the aim of testing this hypothesis, we analyzed gait initiation in 15 right-footed healthy subjects, searching for activities in trunk muscles that precede the onset of the backward CoP shift. Subjects stood on a force plate for about 10 s and then started walking at their natural speed. A minimum of 10 trials were collected. A force plate measured the CoP position while wireless probes recorded the electromyographic activities. Recordings ascertained that at gait onset APAs develop in trunk muscles. On the right side, Rectus Abdominis and Obliquus Abdominis were activated in 11 and 13 subjects, respectively, starting on average 33 and 54 ms before the CoP shift; Erector Spinae (ES) at L2 and T3 levels was instead inhibited (9 and 7 subjects, 104 and 120 ms). On the contralateral side, the same muscles showed excitatory APAs (abdominals in 11 and 12 subjects, 27 and 82 ms; ES in 10 and 7 subjects, 75 and 32 ms). The results of this study provide a novel framework for distinguishing postural from voluntary actions, which may be relevant for the diagnosis and rehabilitation of gait disorders.

scholarly journals Corticospinal Excitability of the Lower Limb Muscles During the Anticipatory Postural Adjustments: A TMS Study During Dart Throwing

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amiri Matsumoto ◽  
Nan Liang ◽  
Hajime Ueda ◽  
Keisuke Irie
Keyword(s):  
Upper Limb ◽  
Lower Limb ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Anticipatory Postural Adjustments ◽  
Limb Movement ◽  
Corticospinal Excitability ◽  
Postural Adjustments ◽  
Lower Limb Muscles ◽  
Limb Muscles ◽  
Dart Throwing

Objective: To investigate whether the changes in the corticospinal excitability contribute to the anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) in the lower limb muscles when performing the ballistic upper limb movement of the dart throwing.Methods: We examined the primary motor cortex (M1) excitability of the lower limb muscles [tibialis anterior (TA) and soleus (SOL) muscles] during the APA phase by using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in the healthy volunteers. The surface electromyography (EMG) of anterior deltoid, triceps brachii, biceps brachii, TA, and SOL muscles was recorded and the motor evoked potential (MEP) to TMS was recorded in the TA muscle along with the SOL muscle. TMS at the hotspot of the TA muscle was applied at the timings immediately prior to the TA onset. The kinematic parameters including the three-dimensional motion analysis and center of pressure (COP) during the dart throwing were also assessed.Results: The changes in COP and EMG of the TA muscle occurred preceding the dart throwing, which involved a slight elbow flexion followed by an extension. The correlation analysis revealed that the onset of the TA muscle was related to the COP change and the elbow joint flexion. The MEP amplitude in the TA muscle, but not that in the SOL muscle, significantly increased immediately prior to the EMG burst (100, 50, and 0 ms prior to the TA onset).Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that the corticospinal excitability of the TA muscle increases prior to the ballistic upper limb movement of the dart throwing, suggesting that the corticospinal pathway contributes to the APA in the lower limb in a muscle-specific manner.

INFLUENCE OF FOOT INSOLE ON THE GAIT PERFORMANCE IN SUBJECTS WITH FLAT FOOT DISORDER

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (06) ◽  
pp. 1950050
Author(s):  
M. T. KARIMI ◽  
R. B. TAHMASEBI ◽  
B. SATVATI ◽  
F. FATOYE
Keyword(s):  
Range Of Motion ◽  
Ankle Joint ◽  
Lower Limb ◽  
Walking Speed ◽  
Force Plate ◽  
Flat Foot ◽  
Gait Performance ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Foot Disorder

Flat foot is the most common foot disorder that influences the alignment of the lower limb structure. It is controversial whether the use of foot insole influences kinetic and kinematic of the leg or not. Therefore, this study investigated the influence of foot insole on the gait performance in subjects with flat foot disorder. A group of flat foot subject was recruited into this study (the number of subjects was 15). The motion of the leg joints was determined using the Qualysis motion analysis system. Moreover, the force applied on the lower limb was recorded by a Kistler force plate. The range of motion of the lower limb joints, the moments applied on the lower limb joints and force transmitted through the leg were the parameters used in this study. The difference between these parameters during walking with and without insole was evaluated using the paired [Formula: see text]-test. Significant value was set at [Formula: see text]. There was no significant difference between the range of motion of ankle joint while walking with and without insole. However, the medial directed force applied on the leg decreased significantly [Formula: see text]. The use of foot insole did not influence the moments transmitted through the hip and knee joints. The walking speed of the subjects improved while walking with foot insole. Use of foot insole influenced the magnitude of the force applied on the leg and the adductor moment of ankle joint due to its influence on foot alignment. As the walking speed of the improved subjects follows the use of insole, it can be concluded that it may have a positive effects on the performance of flat foot subjects.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document