Interplay between Stride Velocity, Stride Frequency and Stride Length in Human Gait Transition

Abstract Background and Purpose. Children with cerebral palsy (CP) often are faced with difficulty in walking. The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effects of functional electrical stimulation (FES) applied to the gastrocnemius-soleus muscle complex on the ability to produce appropriately timed force and reduce stiffness (elastic property of the body) and on stride length and stride frequency during walking. Subjects and Methods. Thirteen children with spastic CP (including 4 children who were dropped from the study due to their inability to cooperate) and 6 children who were developing typically participated in the study. A crossover study design was implemented. The children with spastic CP were randomly assigned to either a group that received FES for 15 trials followed by no FES for 15 trials or a group that received no FES for 15 trials followed by FES for 15 trials. The children who were having typical development walked without FES. Kinematic data were collected for the children with CP in each walking condition and for the children who were developing typically. Impulse (force-producing ability) and stiffness were estimated from an escapement-driven pendulum and spring system model of human walking. Stride length and stride frequency also were measured. To compare between walking conditions and between the children with CP and the children who were developing typically, dimensional analysis and speed normalization procedures were used. Results. Nonparametric statistics showed that there was no significant difference between the children with CP in the no-FES condition and the children who were developing typically on speed-normalized dimensionless impulse. In contrast, the children with CP in the FES condition had a significantly higher median value than the children who were developing typically. The FES significantly increased speed-normalized dimensionless impulse from 10.02 to 16.32 when comparing walking conditions for the children with CP. No significant differences were found between walking conditions for stiffness, stride length, and stride frequency. Discussion and Conclusion. The results suggest that FES is effective in increasing impulse during walking but not in decreasing stiffness. The effect on increasing impulse does not result in more typical spatiotemporal gait parameters. [Ho CL, Holt KG, Saltzman E, Wagenaar RC. Functional electrical stimulation changes dynamic resources in children with spastic cerebral palsy. Phys Ther. 2006;86:987–1000.]

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Supervised Exercise Training Improves 6 min Walking Distance and Modifies Gait Pattern during Pain-Free Walking Condition in Patients with Symptomatic Lower Extremity Peripheral Artery Disease

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21237989 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (23) ◽

pp. 7989

Author(s):

Stefano Lanzi ◽

Joël Boichat ◽

Luca Calanca ◽

Lucia Mazzolai ◽

Davide Malatesta

Keyword(s):

Stride Length ◽

Gait Pattern ◽

Walking Distance ◽

Stride Frequency ◽

Walk Test ◽

Relative Duration ◽

Foot Kinematics ◽

Supervised Exercise ◽

Artery Disease ◽

Kinematics Parameters

This study aimed to investigate the effects of supervised exercise training (SET) on spatiotemporal gait and foot kinematics parameters in patients with symptomatic lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) during a 6 min walk test. Symptomatic patients with chronic PAD (Fontaine stage II) following a 3 month SET program were included. Prior to and following SET, a 6 min walk test was performed to assess the 6 min walking distance (6MWD) of each patient. During this test, spatiotemporal gait and foot kinematics parameters were assessed during pain-free and painful walking conditions. Twenty-nine patients with PAD (65.4 ± 9.9 years.) were included. The 6MWD was significantly increased following SET (+10%; p ≤ 0.001). The walking speed (+8%) and stride frequency (+5%) were significantly increased after SET (p ≤ 0.026). The stride length was only significantly increased during the pain-free walking condition (+4%, p = 0.001), whereas no significant differences were observed during the condition of painful walking. Similarly, following SET, the relative duration of the loading response increased (+12%), the relative duration of the foot-flat phase decreased (−3%), and the toe-off pitch angle significantly increased (+3%) during the pain-free walking condition alone (p ≤ 0.05). A significant positive correlation was found between changes in the stride length (r = 0.497, p = 0.007) and stride frequency (r = 0.786, p ≤ 0.001) during pain-free walking condition and changes in the 6MWD. A significant negative correlation was found between changes in the foot-flat phase during pain-free walking condition and changes in the 6MWD (r = −0.567, p = 0.002). SET was found to modify the gait pattern of patients with symptomatic PAD, and many of these changes were found to occur during pain-free walking. The improvement in individuals’ functional 6 min walk test was related to changes in their gait pattern.

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The use of low doses of acepromazine as an aid for lameness diagnosis in horses: An accelerometric evaluation

Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology ◽

10.3415/vcot-14-11-0177 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 28 (05) ◽

pp. 312-317 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Gómez Cisneros ◽

Varela del Arco ◽

Santiag Llorente ◽

Santos González ◽

F. J. López-Sanromán

Keyword(s):

Clinical Significance ◽

Stride Length ◽

Saline Solution ◽

Gait Pattern ◽

Stride Frequency ◽

Low Doses ◽

Baseline Values ◽

Different Doses

Summary Objectives: The aim of the present study was to quantify by accelerometry the trotting pattern of adult horses sedated with two different doses of acepromazine, in order to assess the use of this drug in equine lameness evaluations. Methods: Seven mature horses were used and three treatments were administered to each horse: saline solution, acepromazine (0.01 mg/kg), and acepromazine (0.02 mg/ kg). The portable gait analyzer used consisted of three orthogonal accelerometers that measure accelerations along the dorso -ventral, longitudinal, and lateral axes. Baseline values were obtained and after treatment, accelerometric recordings were repeated every five minutes during the first 20 minutes after the injection and then every 10 minutes thereafter for two hours. Ground-tolip distance was also measured. Results: Administration of acepromazine decreased some of the variables investigated and differences between doses were observed. Speed, stride frequency, and stride length were significantly reduced following treatments. For coordination parameters, no significant differences among values were observed. Energetic variables suffered only weak reductions whereas ground-to-lip distance values were significantly decreased up to 120 minutes after treatment. Clinical significance: Acepromazine produces significant alterations in the gait pattern with differences between doses, but it does not affect coordination variables in normal unexcited horses, and at a dose of 0.01 mg/kg may be the tranquilizer of choice for evaluating lameness in this setting.

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Capacitive resistive electric transfer modifies gait pattern in horses exercised on a treadmill

BMC Veterinary Research ◽

10.1186/s12917-020-2233-x ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mireya Becero ◽

Aritz Saitua ◽

David Argüelles ◽

Antonia Lucía Sánchez de Medina ◽

Cristina Castejón-Riber ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stride Length ◽

Treadmill Exercise ◽

Gait Pattern ◽

Sport Performance ◽

Stride Frequency ◽

Total Power ◽

Sham Procedure ◽

Hemoglobin Saturation ◽

Pectoral Region ◽

Deep Temperature

Abstract Background Capacitive resistive electric transfer (CRET), a radiofrequency at 448 kHz, resulted in increased superficial and deep temperature and hemoglobin saturation, faster elimination of metabolic and inflammatory products and enhanced sport performance in humans. This research aims to investigate whether the application of CRET affects the locomotor pattern in horses and to assess whether an accumulative effect appears when two CRET sessions are applied two consecutive days. Methods Nine horses were subjected to two CRET sessions applied in both right and left sides of neck, shoulder, back and croup. The horses were exercised on a treadmill, at walk and at trot, before CRET application and at 2, 6 and 12 h after. A second CRET session was applied next day, and the animals were evaluated again at the same times (i.e. at 26, 30 and 36 h after the first session). Between 5 and 7 days later, the same horses were subjected to a sham procedure and they were evaluated in the same times as in the CRET experiment. During treadmill exercise, locomotor parameters were measured with a triaxial accelerometer fixed in the pectoral region and in the sacrum midline. Results The sham procedure did not affect any of the accelerometric variables studied. CRET applications resulted in greater total powers, which resulted in absolute increased dorsoventral, mediolateral and longitudinal powers. However, a reduction in dorsoventral power expressed as a percentage of total power was found. Stride regularity increased. The greater total power resulted in longer stride length and because the velocity was kept fixed on the treadmill, stride frequency decreased. An accumulative effect of CRET application was only found in stride length and frequency. Conclusions It appears that CRET is a useful technique to enhance power and to elongate the stride at defined walk and trot velocities. The effect of these changes on performance should be studied for horses competing in different sport disciplines.

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Phylogenetic and Ontogenetic determinants of sprint performance in some diurnal Kalahari Lizards

Koedoe ◽

10.4102/koedoe.v25i1.602 ◽

1982 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

R. B Huey

Keyword(s):

Stride Length ◽

Sprint Performance ◽

Stride Frequency ◽

Maximum Speed ◽

Body Proportions ◽

Body Sizes

Sprint capacities (maximum speed, acceleration, stride length, stride frequency) of diurnal lizards from the Kalahari were measured on sandy substrates in the laboratory. Despite major interfamilial differences in body sizes and in body proportions, measures of sprint capacity were remarkably similar among families: some heavy bodied skinks ran as fast as did some sleek lacertids. Sprint capacities change during ontogeny in lizards. Maximum speed, stride length, and possibly acceleration all increase with size and presumably with age.

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To slide or stride: when should Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) toboggan?

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z91-033 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 69 (1) ◽

pp. 221-225 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Rory P. Wilson ◽

Boris Culik ◽

Dieter Adelung ◽

N. Ruben Coria ◽

Hugo J. Spairani

Keyword(s):

Energy Expenditure ◽

Stride Length ◽

Stride Frequency ◽

Pygoscelis Adeliae ◽

Additional Energy ◽

High Incidence ◽

The Coefficient Of Friction ◽

Almost All ◽

Leg Movements ◽

Adélie Penguins

We noted whether Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae), when travelling over snow, walked or tobogganed according to gradient, snow friction, or snow penetrability. Both walking and tobogganing penguins reduced stride length and stride frequency, and thus speed, with increasing uphill gradient although tobogganing birds travelled faster and with fewer leg movements. The incidence of tobogganing increased with decreasing friction between penguin and snow. The percentage of penguins tobogganing was also highly positively correlated with increasing snow penetrability. Penguins walking on soft snow must expend additional energy to pull their feet through the snow, whereas tobogganing birds do not sink. It is to be expected that Adélie penguins would utilize the most energetically favourable form of travel which, under almost all conditions, appeared to be tobogganing. Although tobogganing appears to be energetically more efficient than walking, rubbing the feathers over snow increases the coefficient of friction in unpreeened plumage. We propose that a high incidence of tobogganing necessitates increased feather care and that the decision whether to walk or toboggan probably represents a balance between immediate energy expenditure and subsequent energy and time expended maintaining plumage condition.

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Effects of Tai Chi on Gait Kinematics, Physical Function, and Pain in Elderly with Knee Osteoarthritis — A Pilot Study

The American Journal of Chinese Medicine ◽

10.1142/s0192415x08005734 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 36 (02) ◽

pp. 219-232 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Chwan-Li Shen ◽

C. Roger James ◽

Ming-C. Chyu ◽

Walter R. Bixby ◽

Jean-Michel Brismée ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Knee Osteoarthritis ◽

Physical Function ◽

Knee Pain ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Gait Speed ◽

Stride Length ◽

Tai Chi ◽

Stride Frequency ◽

Gait Kinematics ◽

Tai Chi Exercise

Our previous study has demonstrated that 6 weeks of Tai Chi exercise significantly improves knee pain and stiffness in elderly with knee osteoarthritis. This study also examine the effects of Tai Chi exercise on gait kinematics, physical function, pain, and pain self-efficacy in elderly with knee osteoarthritis. In this prospective, pretest-posttest clinical trial, 40 men and women (64.4 ± 8.3 years) diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis participated in 6 weeks of instructed Tai Chi training, 1 hour/session, 2 sessions/week. The following measures were taken at baseline and the conclusion of the intervention: (a) gait kinematics including stride length, stride frequency, and gait speed quantified using video analysis, (b) physical function, (c) knee pain, and (d) pain self-efficacy. Data were analyzed using repeated MANCOVA, MANOVA, ANOVA and Wilcoxon tests. After 6 weeks of Tai Chi exercise, stride length ( p = 0.023; 1.17 ± 0.17 vs. 1.20 ± 0.14 m ), stride frequency ( p = 0.014; 0.91 ± 0.08 vs. 0.93 ± 0.08 strides/s), and consequently gait speed (p < 0.025; 1.06 ± 0.19 vs. 1.12 ± 0.15 m/s ) increased in the participants. Physical function was significantly improved ( p < 0.001) and knee pain was significantly decreased ( p = 0.002), while no change was observed in pain self-efficacy. In conclusion, these findings support that Tai Chi is beneficial for gait kinematics in elderly with knee osteoarthritis, and a longer term application is needed to substantiate the effect of Tai Chi as an alternative exercise in management of knee osteoarthritis.

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Rough substrates constrain walking speed in ants through modulation of stride frequency and not stride length

10.1101/731380 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

G.T. Clifton ◽

D. Holway ◽

N. Gravish

Keyword(s):

Stride Length ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Walking Speed ◽

Stride Frequency ◽

Rough Terrain ◽

Flat Substrate ◽

Walking Performance ◽

Natural Terrain ◽

Kinematic Mechanisms ◽

Walking Speeds

AbstractNatural terrain is rarely flat. Substrate irregularities challenge walking animals to maintain stability, yet we lack quantitative assessments of walking performance and limb kinematics on naturally rough ground. We measured how continually rough 3D-printed substrates influence walking performance of Argentine ants by measuring walking speeds of workers from lab colonies and by testing colony-wide substrate preference in field experiments. Tracking limb motion in over 8,000 videos, we used statistical models that associate walking speed with limb kinematic parameters to compare movement over flat versus rough ground. We found that rough substrates reduced preferred and peak walking speeds by up to 42% and that ants actively avoided rough terrain in the field. Observed speed reductions were modulated primarily by shifts in stride frequency and not stride length, a pattern consistent across flat and rough substrates. Modeling revealed that walking speeds on rough substrates were accurately predicted based on flat walking data for over 89% of strides. Those strides that were not well modeled primarily involved limb perturbations, including missteps, active foot repositioning, and slipping. Together these findings relate kinematic mechanisms underlying walking performance on rough terrain to ecologically-relevant measures under field conditions.

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STEPPING PATTERNS IN ANTS - INFLUENCE OF LOAD

Journal of Experimental Biology ◽

10.1242/jeb.192.1.119 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 192 (1) ◽

pp. 119-127 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

C Zollikofer

Keyword(s):

Stride Length ◽

Food Source ◽

Load Ratio ◽

Stride Frequency ◽

Coordination Pattern ◽

Centre Of Mass ◽

Food Items ◽

Mass Load ◽

Stepping Pattern ◽

Tripod Gait

Stepping pattern geometry and walking kinematics of individual foragers of Cataglyphis fortis (Formicidae: Hymenoptera) were recorded during outward and homeward trips to and from a food source. While returning homewards, the animals were supplied with food items of defined mass (load ratio from 1.3 to 6.4) and volume. Under the influence of load, the temporal interleg coordination pattern was maintained (alternating tripod gait), but the spatial tripod pattern was modified. Tripod deformation was found to be proportional to the displacement of the centre of mass induced by the load. Stride length and stride frequency were not altered at any speed when animals carried loads compared with trips without a load. However, in order to maintain stability, mean stride length, mean speed and mean stride frequency were reduced while carrying loads.

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