Plane Joint Research Articles

Effects of footwear with different longitudinal bending stiffness on biomechanical characteristics and muscular mechanics of lower limbs in adolescent runners.

Background: Running shoes with carbon plates have been identified to have positive effects on improving running performance from a biomechanical perspective. However, the specific difference between the effects of carbon plates with different longitudinal bending stiffness (LBS)on biomechanical characteristics and muscular mechanics of lower limbs in adolescent runners remains unclear. This study aimed to identify the difference in biomechanical characteristics and muscular mechanics in lower limbs during running stance phases between wearing shoes with low longitudinal bending stiffness (Llbs) and high longitudinal bending stiffness (Hlbs) carbon plates in adolescent runners. Methods: 10 male adolescent runners with a habit of daily running exercise (age: 13.5 ± 0.6 years; height: 166.3 ± 1.9 cm; bodyweight: 50.8 ± 3.1 kg; foot length: 25.4 ± 0.2 cm) were recruited and asked to conduct two times of tests by wearing shoes with Llbs and Hlbs carbon plates in a randomized order. Paired t-test and statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analysis were used to identify the difference in biomechanical characteristics and muscular mechanics in lower limbs during running stance phases. Result: Under the condition of wearing shoes with Hlbs, the time of foot contact significantly increased, whereas the range of motion (ROM) of hip and metatarsophalangeal (MTP) in the sagittal plane significantly reduced as well as the peak moment of ankle joint in the sagittal plane. The activations of vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, flexor digitorum brevis (flex dig brevis), and flexor hallucis longus (flex hall long) significantly increased under the condition of wearing shoes with Hlbs. According to the results of the SPM analysis, the joint angles (hip, ankle, and MTP), the net joint moments (knee, ankle, and MTP), and the muscle forces (gluteus maximus and tibialis anterior) were significant difference during the running stance phase between conditions of wearing shoes with Hlbs and Llbs. Conclusion: Running shoes with Llb carbon plates are appropriate for adolescent runners due to the advantages of biomechanical characteristics and muscular mechanics.

Experimental Study on the Shear Mechanical Properties of Anchor Cable with C-Shaped Tube

Faced with serious tensile–shear fracturing of anchor bolts and cables in deep roadways, it is of great significance to investigate Anchor Cable with C-shaped tube (ACC), a combined structure of a C-shaped tube and an anchor cable with high strength and shear resistance. The shear mechanical properties of the anchor cable and ACC are systematically investigated using the technical means of theoretical analysis and double-shear tests. The improved equipment for a double-shear test not only considers the initial normal stress but also ensures the continuity of the anchor cable’s axial force transmission while considering the influence of the inclination angle on the shear performance of supporting components. The research indicates that the C-shaped tube inhibits the occurrence of stress concentration near the joint surface and improves the stress state of the anchor cable, transforming its failure mode from tensile–shear failure to tensile failure. Compared with the anchor cable, ACC has a higher shear capacity, greater shear stiffness and better ductility in the shear direction. The shear capacity of ACC is higher when it is perpendicular to the joint plane than when inclined to 80°, and the shear capacity of the joint plane is linear with the initial normal stress. Two methods were proposed to contrast the shear capacity between the anchor cable and ACC, including the shear capacity of supporting components and the shear capacity of the joint surface. The former is to evaluate the shear capability of the anchor cable and ACC, while the latter is to evaluate the ability of the anchor cable and ACC to control the shear deformation of the joint surface. The tests results show that the average shear capacity of ACC is 279 kN higher than the anchor cable, with an average increase of 34.9%. The average shear capacity of the joint surface anchored by ACC is 306 kN higher than the anchor cable, with an average increase of 25.2%. ACC can effectively improve the shear capacity of the anchor cable in the free section and has wide application prospects.

Effect of Sex-Specific Running Shoes on Female Recreational Runners

Alterations in running shoe design have been studied and used in the prevention of injury and enhancement of performance allowing running shoe companies to market to a variety of runners based on skill level, foot-strike pattern, and even sex. These alterations have been shown to affect biomechanical and physiological variables associated with running. Some shoe companies have designed shoes specifically for biological female runners due to the morphological differences found between male and female feet. The purpose of this study is to determine if sex-specific running shoes can alter female runner biomechanics or physiology. Female runners were asked to run in the male and female models of the Altra Torin 4 Plush shoe to determine if there were differences in ground reaction forces (GRFs), sagittal plane joint angles and moments, oxygen consumption (VO2), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), and perceived level of comfort while running; There were no significant differences in GRFs, sagittal joint angles and moments, VO2, RER, or perceived comfort; There were no differences in measured biomechanical or physiological variables between the female and male version of the shoes suggesting that the alterations made to the female-specific shoe do not provide any additional benefit to female recreational runners.

Development and Validation of a Framework for Predictive Simulation of Treadmill Gait.

Treadmill training is a common intervention to promote healthy walking function for individuals with pathological gait. However, because of the heterogeneity of many patient populations, determining how an individual will respond to new treadmill protocols may require extensive trial and error, causing increased patient fatigue. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a framework for predictive simulation of treadmill gait, which may be used in the design of treadmill training protocols. This was accomplished through three steps: predict motion of a simple model of a block relative to a treadmill, create a predictive framework to estimate gait with a two-dimensional (2D) lower limb musculoskeletal model on a treadmill, and validate the framework by comparing predicted kinematics, kinetics, and spatiotemporal parameters across three belts speeds and between speed-matched overground and treadmill predictive simulations. Predicted states and ground reaction forces for the block-treadmill model were consistent with rigid body dynamics, and lessons learned regarding ground contact model and treadmill motion definition were applied to the gait model. Treadmill simulations at 0.7, 1.2, and 1.8 m/s belt speeds resulted in predicted sagittal plane joint angles, ground reaction forces, step length, and step time that closely matched experimental data at similar speeds. Predicted speed-matched overground and treadmill simulations resulted in small root-mean-square error (RMSE) values within standard deviations for healthy gait. These results suggest that this predictive simulation framework is valid and can be used to estimate gait adaptations to various treadmill training protocols.

Transforming Gait: Video-Based Spatiotemporal Gait Analysis.

Human pose estimation from monocular video is a rapidly advancing field that offers great promise to human movement science and rehabilitation. This potential is tempered by the smaller body of work ensuring the outputs are clinically meaningful and properly calibrated. Gait analysis, typically performed in a dedicated lab, produces precise measurements including kinematics and step timing. Using over 7000 monocular video from an instrumented gait analysis lab, we trained a neural network to map 3D joint trajectories and the height of individuals onto interpretable biomechanical outputs including gait cycle timing and sagittal plane joint kinematics and spatiotemporal trajectories. This task specific layer produces accurate estimates of the timing of foot contact and foot off events. After parsing the kinematic outputs into individual gait cycles, it also enables accurate cycle-by-cycle estimates of cadence, step time, double and single support time, walking speed and step length.

Concurrent validation of the Noraxon MyoMotion wearable inertial sensors in change-of-direction and jump-landing tasks

ABSTRACT Wearable inertial sensors (WIS) facilitate the preservation of the athlete-environment relationship by allowing measurement outside the laboratory. WIS systems should be validated for team sports movements before they are used in sports performance and injury prevention research. The aim of the present study was to investigate the concurrent validity of a wearable inertial sensor system in quantifying joint kinematics during team sport movements. Ten recreationally active participants performed change-of-direction (single-leg deceleration and sidestep cut) and jump-landing (single-leg hop, single-leg crossover hop, and double-leg vertical jump) tasks while motion was recorded by nine inertial sensors (Noraxon MyoMotion, Noraxon USA Inc.) and eight motion capture cameras (Vicon Motion Systems Ltd). Validity of lower-extremity joint kinematics was assessed using measures of agreement (cross-correlation: XCORR) and error (root mean square deviation; and amplitude difference). Excellent agreement (XCORR >0.88) was found for sagittal plane kinematics in all joints and tasks. Highly variable agreement was found for frontal and transverse plane kinematics at the hip and ankle. Errors were relatively high in all planes. In conclusion, the WIS system provides valid estimates of sagittal plane joint kinematics in team sport movements. However, researchers should correct for offsets when comparing absolute joint angles between systems.

Anterolateral Ligament Reconstruction in a Collegiate Lacrosse Athlete

A 21-year-old female lacrosse athlete with a prior left knee anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction sustained an acute, noncontact injury to the same knee during practice. Clinical examination showed adequate sagittal plane joint stability, with reduced rotational support. Radiologist’s findings following magnetic resonance imaging suggested an increased signal at the anterior cruciate ligament, presence of a subacute medial meniscus tear, and Grade II strain of the semimembranosus tendon. Surgical intervention included anterolateral ligament reconstruction and debridement. The clinical team used patient-reported outcome measures and symmetry of strength and balance to progress therapy. Although cleared for exercise, her National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) eligibility expired and she never returned to sport.

Evaluation the association of facet tropism in multi-sports athletes with cervical disc hernia

BackgroundFacet tropism (FT) can be defined as the angular difference between the orientation of the right and left facet joints in axial or sagittal planes. Most studies discuss about the relationship with lumbar disc hernia and facet joint angle. However, little is known about the association of facet tropism with disc herniation in the cervical spine in multisports athletes. In this study, We aimed to investigate the relationship between cervical facet tropism and disc hernia in athletes of different branches between the ages of 20–40 from the cervical MR images of the cases.MethodsThis is a retrospective study performed on athletes who applied our hospital between January 2014–2019 with neck pain and have MR imaging of the cervical spine. Cervical MR images of the patients were evaluated by an experienced radiologist from the hospital system database and archives. 79 cases (52 men and 27 women) were included in the study.ResultsNo statistically significant difference was found between the facet joint angles of both groups at all levels (p˃0.05). Only left C6-7 disc angles of CDH group were measured as 92.99° ± 10.770 (620–1130) and 88.58° ± 7.65° (67°-110°) for the normal group and this difference was found statistically significant (p = 0.007).ConclusionIn this study, we did not predict that cervical facet tropism may be a factor associated with cervical disc hernia in young athletes with CDH.

A novel compound topological invariant for isomorphism detection of planar kinematic chains

Abstract. The isomorphism identification of the kinematic chain (KC) based on graph theory definition has no advantage in efficiency, especially when the number of links in the KCs is large. The topological characteristic constants for isomorphism identification, such as the power value sequence (PVS), least distance matrix sequence (LDMS), and loop number (LN), are proposed. The fourth PVS, the LDMS, and the LN are compared and arranged in descending order, to form a strong complementary chain, which can identify KCs of at least 15 links with 4 degrees of freedom (DOF). The method is applied to the complete atlas of the following: 8-link 1 DOF, 9-link 2 DOF, 10-link 1 DOF, 12-link 1 DOF, 13-link 2 DOF, and 15-link 4 DOF planar single-joint KCs, 6-link 1 DOF and 7-link 1 DOF planetary gear trains, 8-link 1 DOF planar multiple joint KCs, and contracted graphs with up to six independent loops. All results are in agreement with the reported ones in the literature. Thus, the proposed method possesses good versatility and has been verified as being reliable and efficient.

Effect of High-Riding Vertebral Artery on the Accuracy and Safety of C2 Pedicle Screw Placement in Basilar Invagination and Related Risk Factors.

Retrospective cohort study. To investigate the effect of HRVA on the intrapedicular accuracy of C2PS placement through the freehand method in patients with BI and analyse the possible risk factors for C2PS malpositioning. A total of 91 consecutive patients with BI who received 174 unilateral C2PS placements through the freehand method were retrospectively included. The unilateral pedicles were assigned to the HRVA and non-HRVA groups. The primary outcome was the intrapedicular accuracy of C2PS placement in accordance with the Gertzbein-Robbins scale. Moreover, the risk factors that possibly affected intrapedicular accuracy were assessed. The rate of intrapedicular accuracy in C2PS placement in patients with BI was 23.6%. Results showed that the non-HRVA group had remarkably higher rates of optimal and clinically acceptable C2PS placement than the HRVA group. Nevertheless, the HRVA group exhibited similar results for grade B classification as the non-HRVA group. Moreover, in the HRVA and non-HRVA groups, the most common direction of screw deviations was the lateral direction. Furthermore, the multivariate analyses showed that the obliquity of the lateral atlantoaxial joint in the sagittal plane ≥15°, and that in the coronal plane ≥ 20°, isthmus height < 4.3mm, and distance from the skin to the spinous process ≥ 2.8cm independently contributed to a high rate of screw malpositioning in BI patients. The presence of HRVA in BI patients contributed to the high rate of malpositioning in C2PS placement via the freehand method. However, the rates of intrapedicular accuracy in patients with BI with and without HRVA were considerably low.

Validity of Calculating Continuous Relative Phase during Cycling from Measures Taken with Skin-Mounted Electro-Goniometers.

The aim of this study was to assess the validity of electro-goniometers as a tool for recording continuous relative phase data at two joint couplings during cycling tasks at a range of cadences. Seven participants (4 male, 3 female, age: 29 ± 7 years, height: 1.76 ± 0.10 m, mass: 71.97 ± 11.57 kg) performed exercise bouts of 30 s at four prescribed cadences (60, 80, 100, 120 rev·min−1) on a stationary ergometer (Wattbike, Nottingham, UK). Measures were synchronously recorded by bi-axial electro-goniometers (Biometrics, UK) and a 12-camera motion-capture system (Qualisys, Gothenburg, Sweden), with both systems sampling at 500 Hz. Sagittal plane joint angle and joint angular velocity were recorded at the hip, knee and ankle and analysed for ten complete pedal revolutions per participant per condition. Data were interpolated to 100 time points and used to calculate mean continuous relative phase (CRP) per pedal revolution at two intra-limb couplings: (i) knee flexion/extension–ankle plantarflexion/dorsiflexion (KA) and (ii) hip flexion/extension–knee flexion/extension (HK). At the KA coupling, significant differences in mean CRP were found between measurement systems at 120 rev·min−1 (p = 0.006). At the HK coupling, significant differences in mean CRP were found between measurement systems at 80 rev·min−1 (p = 0.043) and 100 rev·min−1 (p = 0.028). ICC values for most comparisons were below 0.5, suggesting poor levels of agreement between systems. Significant differences in mean CRP per pedal revolution and poor levels of agreement between systems suggests that electro-goniometers are not a suitable alternative to motion-capture systems when attempting to record CRP during cycling.

Dimensional parameters and structural topology integrated design method of a planar 5R parallel machining robot

Dimensional parameters and structural topology have crucial impacts on the performance of robots. However, they are disjointed from each other in the design phase. To fill this gap, an integrated design method (IDM) of dimensional parameters and structural topology is proposed. The experiment is designed with dimensional parameters and mass retention ratio as variables. The topology optimization of components is implemented for minimum compliance. Then, a machinability processing algorithm is developed to make components satisfy the manufacturability. The stiffness matrix of each component is extracted by the finite element analysis (FEA) software, and the stiffness–mass metamodel is established by the response surface method (RSM). Finally, the performance models and optimization model are built, and the stiffness–mass metamodels are embedded in them. The optimization is conducted by particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. A planar five-rotational joint (5R) parallel machining robot is considered to verify the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method. Results indicate that the stiffness obtained by the proposed approach is approximately double that obtained by the parametric design method (PDM).

Sagittal Patellar Offset Ratio Can Be a Predictor of Anterior Knee Pain after Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty without Patella Resurfacing.

Anterior knee pain (AKP) is an issue that persists even after successful total knee arthroplasty (TKA). In some patients, reasons for AKP occurrence are known, but it is unexplained in some others despite the patellofemoral joint being thought to be the main focus of pain. We investigated the relationship between unexplained AKP and the patellofemoral joint in the sagittal plane after primary TKA. We evaluated 372 knees of 317 patients retrospectively, who had completed a minimum 24-month follow-up. We divided them into two groups according to the presence of AKP. Sagittal patellar offset ratio (SPOR), anterior femoral offset ratio (AFOR), and Insall-Salvati ratio (ISR) were measured on lateral X-rays. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using the Oxford knee score (OKS) and WOMAC pre-and postoperatively, and AKP was evaluated using a visual analog scale (VAS) postoperatively. Between non-AKP and AKP groups, SPOR (p<0.001) and AFOR (p=0.03) were significantly different but not ISR (p=0.89). SPOR and AFOR were found to be two independent risk factors that may predict the likelihood of AKP. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that AFOR is a poor value, whereas SPOR is a reasonable predictive value. No correlation between SPOR and postoperative OKS (p=0.92) and WOMAC (p=0.25) and no correlation between AFOR and postoperative OKS (p=0.44) and WOMAC (p=0.58) were found. We found that SPOR is a good predictive tool with a cutoff value of 46.4% and 91.5% sensitivity for AKP and its increased ratio increases the probability of AKP following TKA. Considering that the patellar offset will not change, especially in patients without patella resurfacing, care should be taken not to increase the anterior femoral offset.

Age-Related Changes in Landing Mechanics in Elite Male Youth Soccer Players: A Longitudinal Study

The aim of this longitudinal observational study was to examine the age differences in jump landing kinematics in 13–17-year-old male soccer players. Landing technique was evaluated in three consecutive seasons in U14 (n = 15) and the U16 (n = 10) competition age groups using the Landing Error Scoring System (LESS). For the LESS, ANOVA revealed no significant interaction effect (p = 0.81, η2 = 0.009) or main effect for groups (p = 0.15, η2 = 0.086), but a significant year effect was observed (p &lt; 0.001, η2 = 0.265). The LESS score in the U14 group decreased significantly in the second year (5.7 ± 1.9, p = 0.006, d = 0.84) and in the third year (5.9 ± 2.0, p = 0.020, d = 0.70) compared to the first year (7.1 ± 1.7). The LESS score in the U16 group decreased significantly in the second year (5.1 ± 0.9 points, p = 0.034, d = 0.77) and in the third year (4.9 ± 1.4, p = 0.013, d = 0.92) compared to the first year (6.4 ± 1.2). This trend was supported by the results of the separate assessment of the sagittal plane joint displacement. These findings support previous limited findings from cross-sectional studies, which point to improved landing mechanics during maturation. However, the LESS scores in both groups indicate that players who were around and/or post-peak height velocity during the observed periods may be considered “at-risk”, and suggest that preventive training programs should be introduced at earlier stages of players’ development.

Origin of paratacamite in the Kuqa Basin, Xinjiang, China: Defined by Cu isotope values

Isotopes of Cu in some copper minerals have been used to trace the origin of metallogenic materials. However, little is known about paratacamite, a sedimentary-type Cu mineral whose formation is closely related to brines and evaporites. The Kuqa Basin is filled with a huge thickness of evaporite deposits and is located in the northern margin of the Tarim Basin, Xinjiang, northwestern China. Here, we report a study of paratacamite from the Kuqa Basin and infer its genesis from the mineral assemblage and Cu isotopes of paratacamite. Paratacamite is widely distributed in basin deposits coexisting with saline minerals in fractures and joint planes in fault/fracture zones. Cu isotopic compositions (δ65Cu) of paratacamite range from −0.49‰ to 1.02‰, with a mean of 0.41‰. These values suggest that Cu in the paratacamite originated from Cu-bearing brine that was derived from the leaching of metallic ions from surrounding rocks and migrated along and upward through faults, fractures, and joint planes and ascended to the surface while cooling. On the basis of the paragenetic association of paratacamite with saline minerals in the studied samples, the occurrence of paratacamite is inferred to have been controlled by a crystallisation sequence of saline minerals with accompanying evaporation and concentration of brines from which gypsum, secondary glauberite, paratacamite, and halite were crystallised in turn. Differences in Cu isotopic compositions among the samples from the four studied mineralisation occurrences of Kezier, Yanshuigou, Daxiagu, and Dishui may be due to variation in the processes of Cu enrichment involving brines, such as Cu extraction from different rock layers, the migration and evaporation of Cu-bearing brine, and mineral deposition.

Time-dependent kinematic reliability of a dual-axis driving mechanism for satellite antenna considering non-uniform planar revolute joint clearance

The dual-axis driving mechanism is a key part of satellite antenna. It is required to operate for millions of motion cycles in space. Wear is inevitable in the joints, which makes the clearance non-uniform. However, the investigations regarding this issue are quite limited. In this study, we conduct time-dependent kinematic reliability analysis for the dual-axis driving mechanism with non-uniform joint clearance. Firstly, an efficient wear prediction method is proposed under the framework of multi-body dynamics. Then, the position error model is established considering non-uniform joint clearance, input uncertainty, and linkage dimension error. On this basis, the mean and covariance matrix are analytically determined for the joint distribution of the position error along x, y, and z axes. The envelopes of the position error functions are derived. Finally, the time-dependent kinematic reliability is estimated with the integration of a multivariable normal distribution at the calculated expansion points. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated by comparison with the Monte Carlo simulation.

Effects of Unilateral Lower-extremity Joint Cooling on Movement Biomechanics during Two-legged Jumping and Landing

OBJECTIVES This study examined the immediate effect of unilateral ankle or knee joint cooling on the low-erextremity kinematics and kinetics during two-legged jumping and landing.METHODS Twenty healthy adults randomly completed three data collection sessions for ankle or knee joint cooling, or control. For each session, participants performed two-legged countermovement jumps and lands. For joint cooling, two ice bags were directly placed to the right side and secured with a compression bandage. A three-dimensional motion analysis system (200 Hz) with two floor-embedded force platforms (2000 Hz) was employed to capture the jumping and landing. The cooling effects on kinematical (flight time, and sagittal plane joint angles) and kinetical (peak vertical ground reaction force (vGRF), impulse, and sagittal plane joint moments) variables were examined. A mixed-model analysis of variance was performed for each dependent variable (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;≤0.0001 for all tests).RESULTS We did not observe any interactions (flight time: F&lt;sub&gt;2,95&lt;/sub&gt;=0.67, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;=0.52; joint angles: F&lt;sub&gt;2,209&lt;/sub&gt;≤2.26, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;≥0.10; peak vGRF: F&lt;sub&gt;2,209&lt;/sub&gt;≤1.76, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;≥0.20; impulse: F&lt;sub&gt;2,209&lt;/sub&gt;≤2.54, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;≥0.10; joint moments: F&lt;sub&gt;2,209&lt;/sub&gt;≤4.80, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;≥0.01 for all interactions). Regardless of condition and time (side effect), subjects showed a dominant-leg predominant movement strategy. Specifically, the right side showed a greater peak vGRF (2%), and greater ankle (7%), knee (6%), and hip (11%) joint moments, as compared with the left side during jumping. The same movement pattern was observed during landing that there was greater peak vGRF (11%) and impulse (8%), and greater ankle and knee joint moments (15%). Regardless of time and side (condition effect), subjects with ankle joint cooling showed 5% lesser ankle joint moment during jumping, compared with those who received knee joint cooling (&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;=0.0001).CONCLUSIONS A 20-min of unilateral ankle or knee joint cooling seems to neither alter vertical jump height nor change movement biomechanics during two-legged jumping and landing.

Determination of basic friction angle of three planar rock joints

Determination of basic friction angle of three planar rock joints

A novel design of planar high-compliance joint in variable stiffness module with multiple uniform stress leaf branches on rigid-flexible integral linkage

Benefit from the elastic element in the drivetrain, the variable stiffness actuators offer advantages over traditional rigid actuators in security, robustness, energy consumption. However, it is also very bulky due to the integration of the elastic element, especially with large deflection and high load. This article introduces a novel planar high-compliance joint, in which the torsion spring is not an independent part but a synergy result of two adjacent parts developed from the stiffness adjustment linkage mechanism. The flexible element is a cantilever leaf feature belongs to the rigid-flexible integral linkage. The deflection and load ability of the torsion spring can be enhanced by arranging multiple uniform stress leaf branches on the integral linkage without increasing the size. Explicit analytical formulas are derived in a form convenient for leaf parameters design and verified by the finite element simulation and prototype experiments. Finally, the error factors are quantitatively analyzed, which can provide information for the leaf correction design. This kind of planar high-compliance joint is expected to be an ideal choice for the variable stiffness actuators that require stringent axial compactness with large deflection and high load.

Imminent threat of rock-ice avalanches in High Mountain Asia

Upsurge of glacier-related hazards in High Mountain Asia (HMA) has been evident in recent years due to global warming. While many glacial-related hazards are instantaneous, some large landslides were preceded by slow gravitational deformation, which can be predicted to evade catastrophes. Here, we present robust evidence of historical deformation in 2021 Chamoli rock-ice avalanche of Himalaya using space imaging techniques. Multi-temporal satellite data provide evidence of a precursor event in 2016 and expansion of a linear fracture along joint planes, indicating 2021 rock-ice avalanche is a retrogressive wedge failure. The deformation history shows that the fracture propagated at a velocity of ~0.07 m day−1 until September 2020, and with an accelerated velocity (~0.14 m day−1 on average) lately. Analysis of recent similar cases in HMA supported our inference on global warming-induced glacier retreat and thermomechanical effects in enhancing the weakening of fractured rock masses in tectonically active mountain belts. Recent advances in Earth observation and seismic monitoring system can offer clues to the location and timing of impending catastrophic failures in high mountain regions.