This study aimed to examine the effects of holding a load with one hand and different footwear on stepping over an obstacle. The subjects included 7 healthy young males (mean age 23.3±2.8 yr, mean height 173.4±3.7cm, mean mass 68.4±4.4kg). They all were right handed. The subjects wore sandals with low heels or sneakers and stepped over an obstacle (height 17cm, width 24cm and depth 12cm) with or without a 10% body mass load in the dominant hand. With the swing leg (right leg) stepping over the obstacle and the supporting leg (left leg) stepping over afterward, the knee joint angle, ankle joint angle, knee joint height, greater trochanter moving velocity and stepping over an obstacle width were measured. When wearing sneakers and holding the load, the knee joint angle of the supporting leg was smallest when the knee joint of the swing leg peaked. Regardless of the footwear, the knee joint angle also decreased when the foot of the swing leg was grounded.
From the above results, it was judged that when stepping over an obstacle, the knee joint of the supporting leg is affected by holding a load, but not by the choice of footwear.
