Anterior load carriage increases the risk of falls in young adults following a slip in gait

Abstract

Most workplace musculoskeletal injuries result from slip-related falls while carrying a load. Although prior studies inspected the effects of front load carriage on spatiotemporal gait parameters, it remains unclear how the anterior load carriage alters the risk of falls after a slip. This study sought to inspect the impact of anterior load carriage on slip-falls. Thirty young adults were evenly randomized into three groups, each assigned a different anterior load (0%, 10%, or 20% of the bodyweight). Under the protection of a safety harness, all participants were exposed to an unexpected and standardized gait-slip perturbation while walking on a treadmill and carrying the assigned load. Their body’s responses to the slip were gathered using a motion capture system. The primary (the slip outcome: fall vs. recovery) and secondary measurements (dynamic gait stability, angular momentum, and downward velocity of the body-load system’s center of mass or COM) were determined. The results revealed that an increase in the weight carried raises the rate of falls after a slip. The poor control over the COM’s angular momentum and descent, but not dynamic gait stability, were the factors leading to slip-falls during gait for individuals carrying a front load. The findings from this study could shed light on the mechanisms of front load carriage increasing the risk of slip-falls. This can provide preliminary references for designing and assessing safety standards for occupations in which anterior load carriage is necessary to reduce the risk of slip-falls and the resulting injuries.