Gait Biomechanics While Walking Down an Incline After Exhaustion

• Published in: Fire technology Vol. 59; no. 4; pp. 1833 - 1863
• Main Authors: Halder, Amitava, Nordin, Axel, Miller, Michael, Gao, Chuansi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-07-2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Angular acceleration; Angular velocity; Basic Medicine; Biomechanics; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Civil Engineering; Classical Mechanics; Coefficient of friction; Electromyography; Engineering; Exercise physiology; Fall accidents; Fatigue; Force plates; Friction; Fysiologi; Gait; Gait ground reaction forces; Health risks; Health Sciences; Hälsovetenskap; Incline gait biomechanics; Joints (anatomy); Kinesiology; Leg; Localized muscle fatigue; Medical and Health Sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper; Motion capture; Muscles; Muscular fatigue; Musculoskeletal system; Physics; Physiology; Physiotherapy; Required coefficient of friction; Sjukgymnastik; Slip and fall; Three dimensional motion; Walking; Fall accidents; Required coefficient of friction; Localized muscle fatigue; Incline gait biomechanics; Electromyography; Gait ground reaction forces
• ISSN: 0015-2684; 1572-8099; 1572-8099
• DOI: 10.1007/s10694-023-01402-x

This gait biomechanics study investigated stride length (SL), stride duration (SDN), the peak values of ground reaction forces (GRFs
peak
), required coefficient of friction (RCOF
peak
), leg joints’ angles (angle
peak
), angular velocity (ang
velx.peak
), angular acceleration (ang
accx.peak
), minimum angle (angle
min.
) of the foot, and muscles’ electromyography (EMG) during the stance phase (SP) of the dominant leg following an exhaustive stair ascent on a stair machine. Data were collected by a three-dimensional motion capture system synchronized with EMG and force plate while walking down a 10° inclined stationary walkway. Although the leg muscles’ EMG showed no significant local muscle fatigue (LMF) during post-exhaustive walking downwards, the SL was significantly (
p
 < 0.05) shorter than the pre-exhaustive. The mean vertical GRFz
peak.
was significantly (
p
 ≤ .01) reduced during late stance (LS) phase, however, the antero-posterior GRFy
peak.
was found to be significantly (
p
 ≤ 0.01) higher. The RCOF
peak.
was significantly (
p
 ≤ .05) higher during the post-exhaustive walking downwards, LS phase. The available coefficient of friction value of ~ 0.350 seems to be the RCOF to reduce slips and falls on an inclined dry surface. None of the post-exhaustive lower limb joints’ angle
peak
, angle
min.
, ang.
velx.peak
, and ang.
accx.peak
were significantly changed in post-exhaustion walking, except the knee ang.
accx.peak.
, which was significantly (
p
 < 0.05) increased during the LS period. The constrained post-exhaustive gait biomechanics indicate a perturbed gait, which may increase the risks for slips and fall-related accidents, when walking downwards and working on slopes. However, the non-significant joint angle changes imply that walking down is less demanding in a kinesiological perspective compared to walking up an incline.