Abstract
In order to clarify what sort of physical burden forestry-workers have received in daily walking to their working spots, we made an up and downhill walking test on a path of 20 degrees with three kinds of loads by three subjects. Their walking motions were analyzed with the three dimensional movement analyzer, and their reactive forces at knees in the vertical direction and moments at knees were calculated with the multiple-segment biodynamic model in the sagittal plane. The summary of the result is : In case of uphill walking, the knee of the support leg is received the reactive force about equal to his body weight during the swing phase, and the moment is lager than that of downhill walking. In case of downhill walking, the knee of the support leg is received the instantaneous reactive force which is larger than his body weight. The maximum force is 100 to 120% of his body weight in case of carrying a scythe, and is 120 to 130% of his body weight in case of carrying a chain saw.
