| Kinematics, kinetics and muscle activities of the lower extremity during the first four steps from gait initiation to the steady-state walking
Youngho Kim
The Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, vol. 23, no. 1, pp.204-211, 2009
Abstract : In this study, biomechanical characteristics during the whole process of gait initiation for twenty normal healthy volunteers
were determined by the motion analysis with six near-infrared cameras, four forceplates, and an EMG system.
Gait initiation, a transitional movement phenomenon from quiet stance to steady-state walking, involves a series of
muscular activities, GRFs, movements of COP and COM, and joint motions. Results showed that the location of the
net COP to be most lateral during double limb stance at the beginning of gait initiation. During gait initiation, changes
in anteroposterior components of GRFs were first found and then changes in vertical components followed. Hip and
knee motions were found before the ankle joint motion. Walking speed, step length, and stride length gradually increased
until the second step. The interaction between the COM and COP is tightly regulated to control the trajectory
of the COM and thereby control total body balance.
Keyword : Gait initiation; Movement of COP and COM; Joint motion; Electromyography |
