Effect of lower limb preference on variability of centre of pressure movement during gait

Zdeněk Svoboda,Roman Cuberek,Miroslav Janura,Zuzana Kováčiková,Lucia Bizovská,Patrik Kutílek

doi:10.5507/ag.2015.024

Abstract

Background: Centre of pressure (COP) movement variability, as an example of 'end-point' variability (stability), may be one of the indicators that can assess the functional gait asymmetry caused by foot preference in relation to fall risk. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the possible differences in COP movement variability during the stance phase of gait caused by both aging and lower limb preference. Methods: Two groups of females participated in this study: Younger (n = 25, age 22.2 ± 1.8 years) and Middle-aged (n = 25, age 56.6 ± 4.9 years). COP movement and ground reaction forces during gait at self-selected speed were recorded using two force platforms. The standard deviations of the medial-lateral and anterior-posterior COP displacements in four subphases: loading response (LR), midstance (MSt), terminal stance (TSt) and pre-swing (PSw) were assessed. Results: The observed variables indicated significantly higher mean values in almost all cases in subphases LR and PSw in comparison with MSt and TSt. When comparing preferred and non-preferred limb, the preferred limb showed greater variability in medial-lateral direction during LR and less variability in anterior-posterior direction during PSw. In the Younger group, greater variability was found on preferred limb in anterior-posterior direction during LR. When assessing age-related differences all significant cases showed higher variability in the Middle-aged group. Conclusions: The results suggest that COP movement variability is less on the non-preferred limb during weight acceptance and on the preferred limb during propulsion.

Highlights

This study proposed the assessment of Centre of pressure (COP) variability during gait in various stance phase subphases using a procedure for stance phase division in regard to vertical ground reaction force (vGRF)
This study showed differences in lower limb behaviour during gait by assessing the variability of COP movement between Younger and Middle-age groups and between preferred and non-preferred limbs
Significant differences were found only in subphases of loading response and pre-swing which are associated with weight acceptance and propulsion

Summary

Introduction

We can consider two basic concepts of variability: the coordinative variability (proximal joints of the body) and ‘end-point’ variability (distal segments of the body) (Hamill, Palmer, & Van Emmerik, 2012) From this point of view we can suppose greater coordinative variability and less ‘end-point’ variability in healthy young subjects in comparison with older subjects or subjects with some disability. Some authors (Peters, 1988) recognize manipulative or mobilizing (preferred) limb and limb used for support of an action (stabilising, non-preferred) From this point of view in the manipulative limb coordinative variability would be expected greater and ‘end-point’ variability less, while in the stabilizing limb coordinative variability less and ‘end-point’ variability greater (Peters, 1988) Conclusions: The results suggest that COP movement variability is less on the non-preferred limb during weight acceptance and on the preferred limb during propulsion

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