Abstract
Abnormal excess or lack of body mass can influence gait patterns, but in some cases such differences are subtle and not easy to detect, even with quantitative techniques for movement analysis. In these situations, the study of trunk accelerations may represent an effective way to detecting gait anomalies in terms of symmetry through the calculation of Harmonic Ratio (HR), a parameter obtained by processing trunk accelerations in the frequency domain. In the present study we used this technique to assess the existence of differences in HR during gait in a cohort of 75 healthy children and early adolescents (aged 7–14 years) stratified into 3 equally-sized age and gender-matched groups (Underweight: UW; Normal Weight: NW; Overweight: OW). The accelerometric signal, acquired using a single wearable inertial sensor, was processed to calculate stride length, speed, cadence and HR in antero-posterior, vertical and medio-lateral directions. No differences in spatio-temporal parameters were found among groups, while the HR in the medio-lateral direction was found significantly lower in UW children, while OW exhibited the highest values. On the basis of the results obtained, HR appears capable of discriminating gait symmetry in children with different body mass even when conventional gait parameters are unchanged.
Highlights
Locomotion is a major component of daily physical activities and a key factor in ensuring full functional independence
We investigated the existence of possible variations in Harmonic Ratio (HR) values associated with different gait strategies of children and adolescents characterized by significant body mass alterations
The findings of the present study indicate that despite the similarity in terms of main spatio-temporal parameters of the three groups investigated, some interesting differences were observed in their HR values, as regards the ML direction
Summary
Locomotion is a major component of daily physical activities and a key factor in ensuring full functional independence. It is based on a delicate yet sophisticated interplay between the central nervous system and the musculoskeletal system. Either an excess or lack of body mass have been found responsible for specific musculoskeletal adaptations. Excessive mass modifies body geometry by adding passive mass to different regions [1] and it influences the biomechanics of most activities of daily living (ADL), causing functional limitations, increased risk of fall and possibly predisposing to injuries (strain/sprain, lower extremity fracture, and dislocations) [2].
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