The Effect of Asymmetric Surface Stiffness Walking on Gait Kinematics and Kinetics

Presenter: Leah Metsker

Faculty Sponsor: Wouter Hoogkamer

School: UMass Amherst

Research Area: Medical Sciences

Session: Poster Session 5, 3:15 PM - 4:00 PM, Auditorium, A54

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Characteristics of post-stroke gait include decreased hip, knee, and ankle flexion and hip extension in the paretic limb [1]. Research shows increased plantarflexion angle and moment post-adaptation after dual-belt treadmill asymmetric speed interventions in post-stroke individuals [2] which improves step length asymmetry, but not propulsion asymmetry [3]. Asymmetric foot-ground stiffness walking has potential to address these gaps. We hypothesize increased plantarflexion and dorsiflexion angles on the low-stiffness side after perturbation, relative to baseline. Purpose: The objective was to quantify the effects of a single bout of asymmetric foot-ground stiffness walking on joint kinematics in healthy participants. Methods: Five healthy individuals (age: 19-22; mass: 62.8±5.2kg) completed a single session of 3 walking bouts at 1.25 m/s. Participants completed a 5-minute baseline on a dual-belt instrumented treadmill (Bertec, USA), then 10-minutes on an adjustable stiffness treadmill (AdjuSST) [4], with the left belt stiffness lowered to 15kN/m, while the right belt remained rigid. Aftereffects were measured during a 5-minute post-condition on the instrumented treadmill. Changes in joint angles and moments were evaluated as an asymmetry ratio over 10-stride windows at the end of baseline, and the start and end of the post conditions. Repeated measures ANOVA and paired t-tests were used to evaluate our hypotheses. Results: The ANOVA revealed an effect on peak plantarflexion moment (p=0.05), but not in ankle angle measures. Conclusions: Changing foot-ground stiffness during walking can elicit aftereffects in joint moment symmetry, which is promising for stroke rehabilitation adaptation.   

References: [1] Roelker (2019); [2] Lauziere (2014); [3] Reisman (2013); [4] Price (2024).

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