Stride Width Research Articles

Spatiotemporal parameters during turning gait maneuvers of different amplitudes in young and elderly healthy adults: A descriptive and comparative study

BackgroundTurning during walking adds complexity to gait and has been little investigated until now.Research questionWhat are the differences in spatiotemporal parameters between young and elderly healthy adults performing quarter-turns (90°), half-turns (180°) and full-turns (360°)? MethodsThe spatiotemporal parameters of 10 young and 10 elderly adults were recorded in a laboratory while turning at 90°, 180° and 360°. Two-way mixed ANOVA were performed to determine the effect of age and turning amplitude. ResultsElderly were slower and needed more steps and time to perform turns of larger amplitude than young adults. Cadence did not differ across age or across turning amplitude. Generally, in the elderly, the spatial parameters were smaller and the temporal parameters enhancing stability (i.e., double-support phase and stance/cycle ratio) were larger, especially for turns of larger amplitudes. In elderly adults, the variability of some spatial parameters was decreased, whereas the variability of some temporal parameters was increased. Stride width of the external leg showed the most substantial difference between groups. Most parameters differed between turning at 90° and turning at larger amplitudes (180°, 360°).SignificanceThis study extends the characterization of turning biomechanics with respect to ageing. It also suggested paying particular attention to the turning amplitude. Finally, the age-related differences may pave the way for new selective rehabilitation protocols in the elderly.

Mild-intensity running exercise recovered motor function by improvement of ankle mobility after unilateral brain injury of mice using three-dimensional kinematic analysis techniques

Motor dysfunction, such as gait impairment, is a major disability induced by traumatic brain injury or stroke. Treadmill running is often used as a physical exercise (Ex) clinically and experimentally for the recovery of patients. In animal experiments, although dynamic behavioral deficits can be evaluated using scoring systems, local and minor behaviors are difficult to determine. This study aims to evaluate motor dysfunction and recovery after brain damage (BD) with/without mild-intensity running Ex in mice using three-dimensional (3D) kinematic analysis. To determine exercise intensity, C57/BL6-strain male young adult mice were examined in an incremental running test while the pulmonary gas exchange of O2 and CO2 were measured. The animals were then subjected to left hemidecortication as BD, and some mice performed Ex (10 m/min for 30 min 5 times/wk) for 4 weeks. The BD with Ex and BD or sham-operated mice (sham) without (w/o) Ex had their gait recorded by four synchronized cameras, and gait was evaluated via 3D-kinematic analysis. The BD w/o Ex mice significantly differed in stride, step, and stride width for both limbs compared to the sham w/o Ex mice. The BD with Ex mice showed improvement. The BD w/o Ex mice had restricted ankle movements and impairment in dorsal/planter flexing using trajectory analysis. Consistent with these impairments, the nonaffected side also exhibited a different trajectory, suggesting compensatory movements. These results suggest that the appropriate Ex after BD recovered motor function. Furthermore, the present study suggested that 3D-kinematic analysis is a powerful tool for detecting minor behavioral alterations owing to the impairment of the affected side and the compensation of the unaffected side.

Physiological and Cognitive Determinants of Gait Variability of Asian Population: The Yishun Study

Introduction: Gait variability is associated with frailty, dementia, and falls. Studies on the association of physiological and cognitive factors with gait variability have seldom included middle-aged adults, even though these adults already experienced loss of muscular strength and postural stability. This study aimed a) to examine and compare the trend of gait variability in men and women, across the adult age spectrum, and b) to identify and compare the contributions of physiological and cognitive factors to gait variability. Methods: This was a population-based cross-sectional study at a single center. A random sample of 507 community-dwelling, well-functioning adults aged 21–90 years were studied. Cognition was measured using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status. Physiological factors examined included visual contrast sensitivity (VCS), postural sway, hand reaction time, handgrip strength (HGS), knee extensor strength, and gait variability (coefficient of variation [CoV]). Multivariable regression models were used to examine the association between physiological and cognitive performance with gait CoV. Results: Women walked with greater stride width CoV (p < 0.01) and double support time (DST) CoV (p < 0.01) than men. The stride width (p = 0.01) and DST variability (p = 0.03) were significantly higher in older men as compared to men in younger age-groups. Gait speed accounted for most of the gait CoV variances and attenuated the effects of physiological performance and/or attention cognition on most gait variability, except for CoV of DST and stride width. Adults with better VCS (β = −0.19), faster hand reaction (β = 0.12), and greater HGS (β = −0.15) had lower variability in step length. Conclusion: The trends of stride width CoV and DST CoV across adult age spectrum were different between men and women. Greater stride width variability was partly attributed to greater HGS, possibly to better control lateral stability during walking. Physiological factors outweigh cognition in regulating most of the gait CoV in this study. They are modifiable and potential targets for healthy aging program.

Immediate Impacts of Two Foot Orthotic Designs on Foot Posture Index, Gait, and Comfort in Adults With Asymptomatic, Flexible Pes Planus

ABSTRACT Introduction Flexible flatfeet are commonly treated with functional foot orthoses (FFOs) and University of California Berkeley Laboratory (UCBL) designs. This study sought to evaluate the immediate effects of low-profile FFOs and high-profile UCBL orthoses on Foot Posture Index (FPI), spatiotemportal measures of gait, and perceived comfort and compliance in adults with flexible flatfeet. Materials and Methods Fourteen individuals with self-reported asymptomatic flexible flatfeet participated in this randomized cross-sectional study. Custom FFOs and UCBL orthoses were fabricated for each participant, who then walked at a self-selected speed in each condition on a Zeno Mat. Foot Posture Index, perceived comfort and compliance, and spatiotemporal parameters were collected across conditions. Results There were no significant differences in velocity, cadence, step length, stride width, toe-in/toe-out, or stance center of pressure distance percentage. Stance phase duration significantly increased from baseline to UCBL condition. There was a statistically significant decrease bilaterally in FPI from baseline to FFO and from baseline to UCBL orthosis, but not between FFO and UCBL orthosis. There were no significant differences in comfort and compliance ratings between FFOs and UCBL orthoses. Conclusions With regard to immediate effects, both the UCBL and FFO designs improve foot posture without significant impact on spatiotemporal gait patterns or perceived comfort and compliance. Additional research is needed to determine the longevity of these effects. Clinical Relevance The results of this study support the use of both FFOs and UCBL orthoses when trying to provide foot posture correction for adults with asymptomatic flexible flatfeet.

Mechanics of bipedal and quadrupedal locomotion on dry and wet granular media

AbstractThe effectiveness of exploration robots is contingent upon their capability and efficiency to locomote on contorted and multifaceted terrains. Traditional wheeled robots do not suffice at overcoming such terrains and complications they introduce. The proposed work explores the performance of WhegRunner, a whegged (i.e., wheel‐legged) robotic platform used to examine the mechanics of running on granular media at different saturation levels. In particular, the effect of bipedal/quadrupedal gait, saturation level, stride length, and stride frequency on robot's forward body velocity and cost of transport (COT) was studied. To increment nominal stride length, the robot was fitted with different number of spoked whegs from 3 to 7. In addition, eight evenly spaced motor speeds ranging from 2.33 to 7.43 Hz were used to observe the effect of stride frequency. Similar trends were observed between the two gaits, with the quadrupedal gait showing better overall performance. On dry sand, wider strides were attained at reduced motor speeds with lower spoked whegs. However, on wet sand (15% and 30% saturation), wider strides were achieved with higher motor speeds and lower spoked whegs. As a result, lower spoked whegs accomplished higher body forward velocity and lower COT as saturation increased. The acquired knowledge elucidates underexplored mechanics of locomotion on granular media at different saturation levels. The WhegRunner can be used as a platform to obtain a greater insight on how to develop more proficient exploration robots, ones which can face complex and deformable terrains and mediums.

Effects of Cerebellar Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation on Gait and Balance in Healthy Subjects

Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique [1] able to modulate neural oscillatory activities, including those linked to the cortico-cerebello-thalamo- cortical network [2,3]. In this double-blind sham-controlled study, we aimed to investigate the effects of cerebellar tACS delivered at theta and gamma frequencies on gait and balance in healthy subjects, as assessed by kinematic techniques. In a group of young healthy subjects, we applied tACS over the dominant cerebellar hemisphere during the execution of three different motor tasks: 1) standing (both with eyes open and closed); 2) gait initiation (assessed both for the dominant and non-dominant lower limb); 3) 5-meter walk test (5MWT) (Fig. 1). tACS was delivered in a random order at the theta (5 Hz, theta-tACS) and gamma (50 Hz, gamma-tACS) frequencies, and sham-tACS was used as a control condition. The stimulation intensity was set at 1,5 mA and the stimulation duration lasted as long as the motor task was accomplished. Kinematic data were obtained using a force platform and an optoelectronic system. The data analysis was conducted using a dedicated software. Theta-tACS induced a significant reduction of the Centre Of Pressure (COP) displacement during standing with eyes closed compared to sham- and gamma-tACS (mean radius displacement: theta- tACS 4.65±0.74 mm, gamma-tACS 5.58±1.26 mm, sham-tACS 5.99±2.12 mm). A similar, though weaker, trend was present in the eyes open condition. Furthermore, stride width during 5MWT resulted tighter during theta-tACS compared to sham- and gamma tACS. Boosting theta oscillations in the cerebellum through tACS improves balance during standing and gait in healthy subjects. This effect may rely on the modulation of the activity of cerebellar neurons resonant to the theta rhythm. This non-invasive neuromodulation approach could be applied in neurological conditions characterized by ataxia to possibly ameliorate the imbalance and reduce the risk of falling.

Comparison of spatiotemporal parameters in the gait cycle in children with hemiplegia wearing AFO orthoses

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a disorder usually caused by brain damage occurring at birth or earlier, up to the age of two years [1,2]. Spastic hemiplegia/hemiparesis is a type of CP that affects only one side of children's body. The types of treatment that can be used depend on the patient’s specific symptoms and range from physical and behavioural therapy, pharmacological treatments (with botulinum toxin and baclofen), surgical treatments (with rhizotomy) and the use of mechanical aids. Conservative treatment on children with CP includes prescribing the use of ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs). In children with hemiplegia, for example, AFOs are prescribed to correct ankle position and affect the pathologic plantarflexion- extension couple of the hyperextended affected knee. Thus, the aim of this study is to compare the spatiotemporal parameters between barefoot walking and with different types of AFOs. Eighteen children were recruited for the Polisocial Award 2019 research project GIFT- enGIneering For sporT for all (age: 8.0±1.5 years, height: 1.29±0.07 m, mass: 27.3±5.4 kg (mean±SD)). They were provided with a custom- designed AFO designed by ITOP Officine Ortopediche SpA. The parents or guarantors signed informed consent and the study was approved by the ethics committee of the IRCCS Eugenio Medea – Associazione La Nostra Famiglia where the gait analysis were performed. 22 reflective markers were applied following the Davis protocol. Children were asked to walk at self-selected pace along the walkway in order to obtain at least 5 trials per condition: (i) barefoot, (ii) with commonly used AFO, (ii) with new orthosis at t0 (the day of delivery of the brace) and (iv) with new orthosis at t1 (after about 30 days of conditioning). Kinematics was acquired by means of an optoelectronic system consisting of 8 cameras (Smart DX 700, BTS Bioengineering, Milano, Italy). The spatiotemporal parameters taken into consideration (velocity, cadence, step width, stride length, step length, stance and swing phase, double support, single support) were calculated using a protocol in SMART Analyzer (BTS Bioengineering, Milano, Italy). Three valid trials were selected for each patient, one full gait cycle (HS-HS) was segmented for each trial for both the affected and the less affected side. Then, the parameters were averaged for each condition (Fig. 1). To compare between the four conditions, after the data normality check, a two-way ANOVA repeated measures and a one-way ANOVA repeated measure (α = 0.05) were performed followed by post hoc tests with Bonferroni correction (ANOVA2rm on stride and step length, stance and swing phase, double and single support, ANOVA1rm on speed cadence and step width). See Fig. 1. With respect to the barefoot condition, wearing an AFOs (orthosis, AFO T0 and AFO T1) resulted in an increase in speed, a reduction in cadence, while stride width remained almost unchanged [3]. An asymmetry can be also observed between the affected and the less affected limb in relation to the temporal parameters (stance, swing, single and double support) that is not compensated even with the presence of the new device.

Dual-task cost of the Enhanced Gait Variability Index in community-dwelling older adults

BackgroundGait variability is associated with brain abnormalities, falls, and disability in older adults. The Enhanced Gait Variability Index (EGVI), a composite measure of gait variability, offers advantages over traditional measures of variability for individual spatiotemporal parameters (STPs). Gait assessment under complex conditions may reveal additional information about performance and provide insight into potential abnormalities. The EGVI has not been investigated in older adults while performing a concurrent motor task. Research questionTo examine dual-task cost of the EGVI and STPs in a sample of community-dwelling older adults. MethodsThirty-eight community-dwelling older adults (mean age = 72.5 years) walked at self-selected speeds on an instrumented walkway under a single-task (ST) and a motor dual-task (DT) condition. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the EGVI, STPs included in the EGVI, and several other common STPs (cadence, stride width, percent double-support). Wilcoxon signed-rank tests assessed differences in each gait variable between conditions. Dual-task cost (DTC) was calculated for each gait variable. ResultsGoing from ST to DT walking, EGVI scores increased significantly (104.5 ± 8.4 to 125.1 ± 10.8, p < .001). Participants also increased double-support (p < .001) and stance time (p < .01), while decreasing stride velocity (p < .001), step length (p < .001), and single-support time (p < .05). Significant changes were not observed for cadence, stride width, or step time. Stride velocity and EGVI showed the greatest DTC. SignificanceWhen confronted with a concurrent motor dual-task, older adults responded by increasing their EGVI and altering several STPs. The EGVI is a single composite measure that may have utility under ST and DT conditions to enhance understanding of gait variability in older adults. Further research should examine if DTC of EGVI scores predict meaningful constructs such as falls, participation, and self-rated health in older adults.

Concurrent validity of artificial intelligence-based markerless motion capture for over-ground gait analysis: A study of spatiotemporal parameters

Gait analysis is used in research and clinical environments; yet several limitations exist in current methodologies. Markerless systems, utilizing high-speed video and artificial intelligence, eliminate most limitations encountered in marker-, depth-, or inertial sensor-based systems; however, further development is needed to improve their utility and accessibility in practice. Spatiotemporal parameters from 22 young adults were estimated during over-ground gait. Nine parameters were calculated using events determined from force plate information combined with foot segment tracking and from motion of the foot relative to the sacrum using marker-based and markerless tracking. Two-way mixed effects, single measurement, absolute agreement and relative consistency interclass correlation coefficients, Bland-Altman bias and limits of agreement, and Lin’s concordance correlations were used to examine the validity of parameters from markerless tracking compared to parameters calculated from gait event methods using force plates and marker-based tracking. Gait speed, stride length, step length, cycle time, and step time from the markerless system all showed strong agreement with the force plate method. Other markerless-determined parameters were not as accurate. Differences in stride width are attributable to inconsistencies in foot segment definitions between models; while differences in stance time, swing time, and double limb support time were influenced by gait event methods. Mean differences in gait parameters were smaller than meaningful clinical differences in Parkinson’s disease patients and within ranges of reference values for elderly subjects. Further studies are needed to determine the validity across other patient groups, but results support the continued development of markerless systems for over-ground gait analysis.

Machine learning models for Parkinson’s disease detection and stage classification based on spatial-temporal gait parameters

BackgroundParkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disease with no cure, presenting a challenging diagnosis and management. However, despite a significant number of criteria and guidelines have been proposed to improve the diagnosis of PD and to determine the PD stage, the gold standard for diagnosis and symptoms monitoring of PD is still mainly based on clinical evaluation, which includes several subjective factors. The use of machine learning (ML) algorithms in spatial-temporal gait parameters is an interesting advance with easy interpretation and objective factors that may assist in PD diagnostic and follow up. Research questionThis article studies ML algorithms for: i) distinguish people with PD vs. matched-healthy individuals; and ii) to discriminate PD stages, based on selected spatial-temporal parameters, including variability and asymmetry. MethodsGait data acquired from 63 people with PD with different levels of PD motor symptoms severity, and 63 matched-control group individuals, during self-selected walking speed, was study in the experiments. ResultsIn the PD diagnosis, a classification accuracy of 84.6 %, with a precision of 0.923 and a recall of 0.800, was achieved by the Naïve Bayes algorithm. We found four significant gait features in PD diagnosis: step length, velocity and width, and step width variability. As to the PD stage identification, the Random Forest outperformed the other studied ML algorithms, by reaching an Area Under the ROC curve of 0.786. We found two relevant gait features in identifying the PD stage: stride width variability and step double support time variability. SignificanceThe results showed that the studied ML algorithms have potential both to PD diagnosis and stage identification by analysing gait parameters.

A Comprehensive, Multidisciplinary Assessment for Knee Osteoarthritis Following Traumatic Unilateral Lower Limb Loss in Service Members.

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a primary source of long-term disability and decreased quality of life (QoL) in service members (SM) with lower limb loss (LL); however, it remains difficult to preemptively identify and mitigate the progression of KOA and KOA-related symptoms. The objective of this study was to explore a comprehensive cross-sectional evaluation, at the baseline of a prospective study, for characterizing KOA in SM with traumatic LL. Thirty-eight male SM with traumatic unilateral LL (23 transtibial and 15 transfemoral), 9.5 ± 5.9 years post-injury, were cross-sectionally evaluated at initial enrollment into a prospective, longitudinal study utilizing a comprehensive evaluation to characterize knee joint health, functionality, and QoL in SM with LL. Presences of medial, lateral, and/or patellofemoral articular degeneration within the contralateral knee were identified via magnetic resonance imaging(for medically eligible SM; Kellgren-Lawrence Grade [n = 32]; and Outerbridge classification [OC; n = 22]). Tri-planar trunk and pelvic motions, knee kinetics, along with temporospatial parameters, were quantified via full-body gait evaluation and inverse dynamics. Concentrations of 26 protein biomarkers of osteochondral tissue degradation and inflammatory activity were identified via serum immunoassays. Physical function, knee symptoms, and QoL were collected via several patient reported outcome measures. KOA was identified in 12 of 32 (37.5%; KL ≥ 1) SM with LL; however, 16 of 22 SM presented with patellofemoral degeneration (72.7%; OC ≥ 1). Service members with versus without KOA had a 26% reduction in the narrowest medial tibiofemoral joint space. Biomechanically, SM with versus without KOA walked with a 24% wider stride width and with a negative correlation between peak knee adduction moments and minimal medial tibiofemoral joint space. Physiologically, SM with versus without KOA exhibited elevated concentrations of pro-inflammatory biomarker interleukin-7 (+180%), collagen breakdown markers collagen II cleavage (+44%), and lower concentrations of hyaluronic acid (-73%) and bone resorption biomarker N-telopeptide of Type 1 Collagen (-49%). Lastly, there was a negative correlation between patient-reported contralateral knee pain severity and patient-reported functionality and QoL. While 37.5% of SM with LL had KOA at the tibiofemoral joint (KL ≥ 1), 72.7% of SM had the presence of patellofemoral degeneration (OC ≥ 1). These findings demonstrate that the patellofemoral joint may be more susceptible to degeneration than the medial tibiofemoral compartment following traumatic LL.

Changes in Gait Parameters Due to Visual and Head Oscillations in Football Players and Non-Athletes

Functional movements require <styled-content style="color:black" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> the successful integration of</styled-content> visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive sensory signals. It has been shown that athletes are less affected by external <styled-content style="color:black" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">sensory</styled-content> perturbations than untrained individuals. This study aims to investigate if trained athletes respond differently to sensory manipulations during <styled-content style="color:black" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">walking</styled-content> compared to non-athletes. <styled-content style="color:black" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">A group of Division I football players and non-athletes, 10 subjects each, underwent sensory perturbations while walking overground for 10 laps on a walkway. The sensory perturbations were head yaw oscillations, visual field oscillations,</styled-content> and synchronized head-vision oscillations. A robotic neck brace and a virtual reality system imposed head movements and visual perturbations, respectively. Stride length, stride width, stride velocity, and their respective variabilities were evaluated using a virtual reality system. Results show a condition-dependent change in gait parameters between football players and non-athletes. Visual oscillations caused a wider stride width, shorter stride length, and lower stride velocity in football players <styled-content style="color:black" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">when</styled-content> compared to non-athletes.

Gait Alteration Due to Haemophilic Arthropathies in Patients with Moderate Haemophilia.

Some patients with moderate haemophilia (PWMH) report joint damage potentially responsible for gait disorders. Three-dimensional gait analysis (3DGA) is a relevant tool for the identification of complex musculoskeletal impairment. We performed an evaluation with 3DGA of 24 PWMH aged 44.3 ± 16.1 according to their joint status [Haemophilia Joint Health Score (HJHS) < 10 or HJHS ≥ 10] and assessed the correlation with the radiological and clinical parameters. Sixteen had HJHS < 10 (group 1) and eight had HJHS ≥ 10 (group 2). They were compared to 30 healthy subjects of a normative dataset. Both knee and ankle gait variable scores were increased in group 2 compared to the controls (p = 0.02 and p = 0.04, respectively). The PWMH of group 2 had a significant increase in their stance phase, double support duration, and stride width compared to the controls and group 1 (p < 0.01). Very low correlations were found for the ankle gait variable score with the ankle Pettersson sub-score (r2 = 0.250; p = 0.004) and ankle HJHS sub-score (r2 = 0.150; p = 0.04). For the knee, very low correlation was also found between the knee gait variable score and its HJHS sub-score (r2 = 0.290; p < 0.0001). Patients with moderate haemophilia presented a gait alteration in the case of poor lower limb joint status.

Kinematics predictors of spatiotemporal parameters during gait differ by age in healthy individuals

Joint biomechanics and spatiotemporal gait parameters change with age or disease and are used in treatment decision-making. Research question: To investigate whether kinematic predictors of spatiotemporal parameters during gait differ by age in healthy individuals. Methods: We used an open dataset with the gait data of 114 young adults (M = 28.0 years, SD = 7.5) and 128 older adults (M = 67.5 years, SD = 3.8) walking at a comfortable self-selected speed. Linear regression models were developed to predict spatiotemporal parameters separately for each group using joint kinematics as independent variables. Results: In young adults, knee flexion loading response and hip flexion/extension were the common predictors of gait speed; hip flexion and hip extension contributed to explaining the stride length; hip flexion contributed to explaining the cadence and stride time. In older adults, ankle plantarflexion, knee flexion loading response, and pelvic rotation were the common predictors of the gait speed; ankle plantarflexion and knee flexion loading response contributed to explaining the stride length; ankle plantarflexion loading response and ankle plantarflexion contributed to explain the cadence, stride width and stride time. Significance: Our results suggest that the ability of joint kinematic variables to estimate spatiotemporal parameters during gait differs by age in healthy individuals. Particularly in older adults, ankle plantarflexion was the common predictor of the spatiotemporal parameters, suggesting the importance of the ankle for gait parameters in this age group. This provides insight for clinicians into the most effective evaluation and has been used by physical professionals in prescribing the most appropriate exercises to attenuate the effects produced by age-related neuromuscular changes.

Analysis of mechanical energy in thigh, calf and foot during gait in children with cerebral palsy

Background: Many studies on children with cerebral palsy (CP) have focused on metabolic energy, however research on the mechanical energy in the lower limbs is sparse.Research question: What differences of mechanical energies in the lower limbs exist between the children with CP and typically developing (TD) children during gait? The purpose of this research was to analyse the mechanical energy changes of the lower limbs of children with CP during walking and compare them with TD children.Methods: Twelve children with CP including 8 diplegic and 4 hemiplegic without severity levels (aged 4–22 year old) and 14 TD participants (aged 5–15 year old) walked barefoot in a gait lab where a motion capture system collected marker data during walking. The translational and rotative kinetic energy and potential energy in the thigh, calf and foot were then calculated using the marker data. Gait parameters, e.g., stride frequency, pace, stride length, stride width, were also obtained.Findings: The results show that the children with CP had significantly lower values than the TD group in terms of kinetic energy and potential energy. This was especially seen in the thigh where the energy recovery coefficient in the children with CP was 31% compared with 43% in the TD group. In the calf and foot, the CP and TD groups had similar energy recovery to the TD group, i.e. not significantly different clinically. The gait parameters showed that children with CP had slower walking speed, shorter stride length, larger step width than TD but similar cadence to TD.Interpretation: The energy recovery coefficient represents the efficiency of exchanges of kinetic and potential energies. The higher its value, the better the energy use during gait.Significance: This study concluded that CP gait is weaker in the use of energy than TD gait. To our best knowledge, this study is the first one to analyse mechanical energy changes in the lower limbs for CP and TD groups during gait.

Increased Knee and Meniscal Injury Incidence in Professional Baseball Pitchers With Wider, Positive Stride Width.

Professional baseball pitchers sustain 75% of knee injuries while at the pitcher's mound, yet no pitching motion has been associated directly with such injuries. Stride width is a potential, modifiable risk factor worth investigating. Increased stride width in both the positive and negative directions (deviations from neutral stride width) would correlate with increased incidence of knee injury in pitchers. Descriptive laboratory. Level 5. Professional pitchers (n = 199) were evaluated with motion capture (480 Hz) while pitching. Injury history over 10 years was recorded at face-to-face interviews with pitchers. Players were subsequently grouped into stride width tertiles, compared for previous injury incidence of the lower extremities. Regressions were performed to observe performance benefits of stride width with ball velocity, accuracy, or consistency in pitch location as secondary outcomes. Of the 40 lower extremity injuries reported, meniscal injury (27.5%) was the most common, followed by foot stress fracture (20.0%). Significant differences in injury incidence were noted between the least and most positive stride width tertiles: lower extremity (10.4% vs 25.8%, respectively; P = 0.03), knee (3.0% vs 15.2%, respectively; P = 0.02), and meniscal (0.0% vs 12.1%; P = 0.00). Stride width of pitchers with meniscal injury in the lead (32.6 ± 7.1 cm, n = 5; P = 0.02) and stance leg (33.5 ± 10.6 cm, n = 5; P = 0.03) was significantly more positive than that of uninjured pitchers (21.1 ± 11.5 cm, n = 164). No significant relationships were established between stride width and ball velocity (P = 0.54) or pitch location metrics (P > 0.05). Pitchers with increased positive, stride width had significantly higher incidence of lower extremity injury (knee and meniscus). Wider, positive stride width may increase the degree of external rotation on the lead knee in a loaded state, which can place the medial side of the knee (and meniscus) at higher risk of injury. Decreasing stride width may be beneficial for professional pitchers to reduce the rate of lower extremity injury, while also preserving performance metric outcomes.

Foot-to-Ground Phases Detection: A Comparison of Data Representation Formatting Methods with Respect to Adaption of Deep Learning Architectures

Identifying the foot stance and foot swing phases, also known as foot-to-ground (FTG) detection, is a branch of Human Activity Recognition (HAR). Our study aims to detect two main phases of the gait (i.e., foot-off and foot-contact) corresponding to the moments when each foot is in contact with the ground or not. This will allow the medical professionals to characterize and identify the different phases of the human gait and their respective patterns. This detection process is paramount for extracting gait features (e.g., step width, stride width, gait speed, cadence, etc.) used by medical experts to highlight gait anomalies, stance issues, or any other walking irregularities. It will be used to assist health practitioners with patient monitoring, in addition to developing a full pipeline for FTG detection that would help compute gait indicators. In this paper, a comparison of different training configurations, including model architectures, data formatting, and pre-processing, was conducted to select the parameters leading to the highest detection accuracy. This binary classification provides a label for each timestamp informing whether the foot is in contact with the ground or not. Models such as CNN, LSTM, and ConvLSTM were the best fits for this study. Yet, we did not exclude DNNs and Machine Learning models, such as Random Forest and XGBoost from our work in order to have a wide range of possible comparisons. As a result of our experiments, which included 27 senior participants who had a stroke in the past wearing IMU sensors on their ankles, the ConvLSTM model achieved a high accuracy of 97.01% for raw windowed data with a size of 3 frames per window, and each window was formatted to have two superimposed channels (accelerometer and gyroscope channels). The model was trained to have the best detection without any knowledge of the participants’ personal information including age, gender, health condition, the type of activity, or the used foot. In other words, the model’s input data only originated from IMU sensors. Overall, in terms of FTG detection, the combination of the ConvLSTM model and the data representation had an important impact in outperforming other start-of-the-art configurations; in addition, the compromise between the model’s complexity and its accuracy is a major asset for deploying this model and developing real-time solutions.

Biological Breakdown of Sports in Athletics Based on Multimedia Image Acquisition Techniques.

This paper provides an in-depth analysis and study of the decomposition of sports biology of athletics events through multimedia image acquisition techniques. The proposed design uses SOPC hardware-software collaboration technology, which makes full use of the parallelism of hardware as well as the flexibility of software to essentially improve the speed of image processing and greatly improve the efficiency of image processing. The high speed and parallelism of hardware are used to realize the image acquisition part with high timing requirements and the preprocessing algorithm with a large number of operations and strong repetition, in addition to the difficulties of many initialization configuration parameters of each peripheral. Additionally, the need for frequent adjustment of peripheral working parameters is solved by making full use of the scalability and flexibility of software, and the control signals output by software can coordinate the work of each hardware module to ensure that each module of the system cooperates. It is also possible to coordinate the work of each hardware module through the control signal output from the software to ensure that each module of the system cooperates and operates in an orderly and efficient manner and provides the possibility of realizing a higher level of the image processing algorithm. The system includes four main factors: swinging action, supporting action, vacating action, and speed rhythm. Based on this system, 14 key kinematic indicators were selected to reflect the technical status of the youth walkers. The landing angle decreased with the increase of speed, and the landing technique was insufficient; it had better control of the large and small arm angle, and their stride width was open, while the other four athletes showed increased tension in the hip joint and upper limb with the increase of walking speed, as well as the wrong action of forward and internal rotation of the large and small arms.

The influence of stride width on kinematic and kinetics in high school and professional baseball pitchers: A propensity-matched biomechanical evaluation

ObjectivesTo evaluate kinematic and kinetic parameters for high school (HS) and professional (PRO) pitchers differentiated by stride width. DesignDescriptive laboratory study. MethodsHS (n = 36) and PRO (n = 172) baseball pitchers pitched 8–12 fastballs using 3D-motion capture (480-Hz). Pitchers were 1:1 propensity-scored matched by age, height, weight, and ball velocity based on ‘narrow’ versus ‘wide’ stride widths and kinematics and kinetics were compared using independent t-tests. Independent associations between variables and stride width were determined utilizing linear regressions. ResultsAt foot contact, HS wide (n = 18) had significantly less lead knee flexion (41 ± 9° vs. 49 ± 6°, p = 0.007, d = −1.0) and less pelvis rotation (66 ± 9° vs. 57 ± 14°, p = 0.003 d = 0.8) compared to HS narrow (n = 18). PRO wide (n = 86) at ball release had significantly less pelvis rotation (−10 ± 10° vs. −15 ± 14°, p = 0.008, d = 0.4) and increased shoulder horizontal adduction (4±8° vs. −1±9°, p=0.003, d=0.5) compared to PRO narrow (n = 86). For every 10 cm increase in stride width, pelvis rotation at ball release decreased by 2° (B:0.10, β:0.20, p < 0.001) in HS and 1.3° (B:0.08, β:0.13, p = 0.002) in PRO. ConclusionsHS and PRO pitchers differentiated by stride width demonstrated no significant difference in throwing arm kinetics. For both groups, wider stride width was associated with decreased pelvis rotation, which may contribute to inefficient utilization of kinetic energy. Ultimately, coaches and players may better focus their efforts on refining other kinematics for enhanced performance outcomes and safe pitching mechanics.

Effects of Memantine and High Dose Vitamin D on Gait in Male APP/PS1 Alzheimer's Disease Mice Following Vitamin D Deprivation.

Altered gait is a frequent feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD), as is vitamin D deficiency. Treatment with memantine and vitamin D can protect cortical axons from exposure to amyloid-β and glutamate toxicity, suggesting this combination may mitigate altered gait in AD. Investigate the effects of vitamin D deprivation and subsequent treatment with memantine and vitamin D enrichment on gait performance in APPswe/PS1dE9 mice. Male APPswe/PS1dE9 mice were split into four groups (n = 14 each) at 2.5 months of age. A control group was fed a standard diet throughout while the other three groups started a vitamin D-deficient diet at month 6. One group remained on this deficient diet for the rest of the study. At month 9, the other two groups began treatment with either memantine alone or memantine combined with 10 IU/g of vitamin D. Gait was assessed using CatWalk at months 6, 9, 12, and 15. Vitamin D deprivation led to a 13% increase in hind stride width by month 15 (p < 0.001). Examination of the treatment groups at month 15 revealed that mice treated with memantine alone still showed an increase in hind stride width compared to controls (p < 0.01), while mice treated with memantine and vitamin D did not (p = 0.21). Vitamin D deprivation led to impaired postural control in the APPswe/PS1dE9 model. Treatment with memantine and vitamin D, but not memantine alone, prevented this impairment. Future work should explore the potential for treatments incorporating vitamin D supplementation to improve gait in people with AD.