BIOMECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LOWER EXTREMITY FROM GAIT INTIATION TO THE STEADY-STATE WALKING

Abstract

In this study, biomechanical characteristics during the whole process of gait initiation for twenty healthy volunteers were determined by the three dimension motion analysis. Gait initiation, a transitional movement phenomenon from quiet stance to steady-state walking, involves a series of muscular activities, GRFs, movements of COP and COM and joint motions. Results showed that the location of the net COP to be most lateral during double limb stance at the beginning of gait initiation. During gait initiation, changes in anteroposterior components of GRFs were first found and then changes in vertical components followed. Hip and knee motions were found before the ankle joint motion. Walking speed, step length and stride length gradually increased until the second step. The interaction between the COM and COP is tightly regulated to control the trajectory of the COM and thereby control total body balance.