Author/Editor     Matjačić, Zlatko; Olenšek, Andrej; Bajd, Tadej
Title     Biomechanical characterization and clinical implications of artificially induced toe-walking: differences between pure soleus, pure gastrocnemius and combination of soleus and gastrocnemius contractures
Type     članek
Source     J Biomech
Vol. and No.     Letnik 39, št. 2
Publication year     2006
Volume     str. 255-66
Language     eng
Abstract     The purpose of this study was to characterize biomechanically three different toe-walking gait patterns, artificially induced in six neurologically intact subjects and to compare them to selected cases of pathological toe-walking. The subject, equipped with lightweight mechanical exoskeleton with elastic ropes attached to the left legs heel on one and on shank and thinh on the other end in a similar anatomic locations where soleus and gastrocnemius muscles attach to skeleton, walked at speed of approximately 1m/s along the walkway under four experimental conditions: normal walking (NW), soleus contracture emulation (SOL), gastrocnemius contracture emulation (GAS) and emulation of both soleus and gastrocnemius contractures (SOLGAS). Reflective markers and force platform data were collected and ankle, knee and hip joint ngles, moments and powers were calculated using inverse dynamic model for both legs. Characteristic peaks of averaged kinematic and kinetic patterns were compared among all four experimental conditions in one-way ANOVA. In the left leg SOL contracture mainly influenced the ankle angle trajectory, while GAS and SOLGAS contractures influenced the ankle and knee angle trajectories. GAS and SOLGAS contractures significantly increased ankle moment during midstance as compared to SOL contracture and NW. All three toe-walking experimental conditions exhibited significant power absorption in the ankle during loading response, which was absent in the NW condition, while during preswing significant decrease in power absorption as compared to NW was seen. In the knee joint SOL contracture diminished, GAS contracture increased while SOLGAS contracture approximately halved knee extensor moment during midstance as compared to NW. (Abstract truncated at 2000 characters)
Descriptors     GAIT
BIOMECHANICS
CONTRACTURE
TOES
ANKLE JOINT
KNEE JOINT
ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE