ANGULAR KINEMATICS AND JOINT MOMENTS ANALYSIS IN LOWER LIMB AND PELVIS DURING GAIT IN SAGITTAL PLANE IN PREGNANT WOMEN

Abstract

This study compared sagittal plane lower limb range of motion (ROM) and joint moments of force (Mf) during gait in pregnant (second trimester) and non-pregnant women. Kinematic data were collected with an optoelectronic motion capture system (Qualysis, Ocqus 300) synchronized with two force platforms (Kistler AG, Winterthur, Switzerland) which collected ground reaction force values. The study revealed that the gait pattern in the second trimester of pregnancy is similar to the non-pregnant women pattern, in what concerns to the variables studied. Lower dorsiflexion and higher plantar flexion angles in the ankle joint in pregnant women, and higher values of hip flexion for the same group, were observed. With respect to the joint moments of force, there were higher knee flexor and hip extensor peak moments in pregnant women.