Anticipatory adjustments of swing limb for stepping onto:
a kinematics study
2007 Volume 5 Issue 2 Pages 59-65
Details
2007 Volume 5 Issue 2 Pages 59-65
Every day, we are confronted by numerous opportunities for stepping. However, the relationship between anticipatory control of swing limb during stepping and small levels of change in step height has not been examined. The purpose of this study was therefore to clarify the influence that changes in step height exert on the anticipatory control of swing limb, while stepping. In this study, 10 male subjects (age: 19.40 ± 1.65 yr., Height: 161.92 ± 1.71 cm.) executed level walking and stepping. Step heights ranged from 1 cm to 9 cm in 1 cm intervals. As a result, a significant difference was observed between the hip joint angle used for step heights from level to 2 cm and the hip joint angle used for all levels. With increasing step height, the hip joint angle became increasingly flexed. From a step height of 3 cm, the knee joint angle also flexed gradually. Toe clearance was thus ensured via control of the hip joint, for step heights up to 2 cm for the subjects of this study. For step heights greater than 3 cm, clearance was ensured via control of both the hip and knee joints. Toe clearance was approximately 5 cm, regardless of step height. The results suggest that the necessity to control knee flexion is perceived from a certain height.
