Effects of additional anterior body mass on gait.

Simone V Gill,Maureen Ogamba,Cara L Lewis

doi:10.1186/s12884-016-0893-0

Abstract

BackgroundGradual increases in mass such as during pregnancy are associated with changes in gait at natural velocities. The purpose of this study was to examine how added mass at natural and imposed slow walking velocities would affect gait parameters.MethodsEighteen adult females walked at two velocities (natural and 25 % slower than their natural pace) under four mass conditions (initial harness only (1 kg), 4.535 kg added anteriorly, 9.07 kg added anteriorly, and final harness only (1 kg)). We collected gait kinematics (100 Hz) using a motion capture system.ResultsAdded anterior mass decreased cycle time and stride length. Stride width decreased once the mass was removed (p < .01). Added mass resulted in smaller peak hip extension angles (p < .01). The imposed slow walking velocity increased cycle time, double limb support time and decreased stride length, peak hip extension angles, and peak plantarflexion angles (p < .01). With added anterior mass and an imposed slow walking velocity, participants decreased cycle time when mass was added and increased cycle time once the mass was removed (p < .01).ConclusionsGait adaptations may be commensurate with the magnitude of additional mass when walking at imposed slow versus natural velocities. This study presents a method for understanding how increased mass and imposed speed might affect gait independent of other effects related to pregnancy. Examining how added body mass and speed influence gait is one step in better understanding how women adapt to walking under different conditions.

Highlights

Gradual increases in mass such as during pregnancy are associated with changes in gait at natural velocities
Stride length was shorter during the Statistical Analyses Using SPSS 20.0 statistical software, we conducted separate 2 velocity x 4 mass repeated measures (RM) analyses of variance (ANOVA) to examine differences in participants’ average cycle times, double limb support times, stride lengths, stride widths, peak hip extension angle, peak hip flexion angle, peak knee flexion angle, peak knee extension angle, peak ankle plantarflexion angle, and peak ankle dorsiflexion angle
Pregnant women’s gradual increase in mass over 9 months allows them to may be useful to examine the effects added mass during overground walking compared to treadmill walking. Both added mass and imposed slow walking velocity resulted in gait modifications

Summary

Introduction

Gradual increases in mass such as during pregnancy are associated with changes in gait at natural velocities. The purpose of this study was to examine how added mass at natural and imposed slow walking velocities would affect gait parameters. Gradual increases in mass are associated with corresponding changes in gait. Pregnant women decrease stride length, which results in taking shorter steps [4]. Over the course of pregnancy, changes in women’s gait continue to show a linear trend; women increase step width [5], decrease stride length [4,5,6], and decrease step length [4, 6]. A range of evidence exists with regard to the influence of pregnancy on women’s walking velocity.

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