Abstract
Accurate coordination of mediolateral foot placement, relative to the center of mass kinematic state, is one of the mechanisms which ensures mediolateral stability during human walking. Previously, we found that shoes constraining ankle moments decreased the degree of foot placement control with respect to the center of mass kinematic state. As such, ankle moment constraints can be seen as a perturbation of foot placement. Direct mechanical perturbations of the swing leg trajectory can improve the degree of foot placement control as an after-effect. Here, we asked whether constrained ankle moments could have a similar effect. If confirmed, this would offer a simple training tool for individuals with impaired foot placement control. Participants walked in three conditions; normal (baseline) while wearing shoes constraining ankle moments (training) and normal again (after-effects). The degree of foot placement control was calculated as the percentage of variance in foot placement that could be predicted based on the center of mass kinematic state in the preceding swing phase. During training, the degree of foot placement control decreased initially compared to baseline, but it gradually improved over time. In the after-effect condition, it was higher than during baseline, yet not significantly so. During training, we observed increased step width, decreased stride time and reduced local dynamic stability. In conclusion, constraining ankle moment control deteriorates the degree of foot placement control. A non-significant trend towards an improved degree of foot placement control after prolonged exposure to constrained ankle moments, allows for speculation on a training potential.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 110990 |
Pages (from-to) | 1-7 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Journal of Biomechanics |
Volume | 134 |
Early online date | 5 Feb 2022 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Mar 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The authors are thankful for the participants and (technical) assistance during the experiment. We are especially grateful for Leon Schutte, who developed the LesSchuh. The Dutch Research Council (NWO) (https://www.nwo.nl/en/) funded Sjoerd Bruijn (016.Vidi.178.014) and Moira van Leeuwen.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors