The active control of the trunk plays an important role in frontal plane gait stability. We characterized trunk control in response to different step widths using a novel feedback system and examined the different effects of wide and narrow step widths as they each present unique task demands. Twenty healthy young adults walked on a treadmill at 1.25 m/s at five prescribed step widths: 0.33, 1.67, 1, 1.33, 1.67 times preferred step width. Motion capture was used to record trunk kinematics, and surface electromyography was used to record longissimus muscle activation bilaterally. Vector coding was used to analyze coordination between pelvis and thorax segments of the trunk. Results showed that while center of mass only varied across step width in the mediolateral direction, trunk kinematics in all three planes were affected by changes in step width. Angular excursions of the trunk segments increased only with wider widths in the transverse plane. Thorax-pelvis kinematic coordination was affected more by wider widths in transverse plane and by narrower widths in the frontal plane. Peak longissimus activation and bilateral co-activation increased as step widths became narrower. As a control task, walking with varied step widths is not simply a continuum of adjustments from narrow to wide. Rather, narrowing step width and widening step width from the preferred width represent distinct control challenges that are managed in different ways. This study provides foundation for future investigations on the trunk during gait in different populations.

躯干的主动控制在额叶面步态稳定性中起重要作用。我们使用新颖的反馈系统对躯干控制的特征进行了响应，以响应不同的步长，并研究了宽步长和窄步长各自具有独特任务要求时的不同影响。二十名健康的年轻人以1.25 m / s的速度在跑步机上以五个规定的步幅行走：0.33、1.67、1、1.33、1.67倍首选步幅。运动捕捉用于记录躯干运动学，表面肌电图用于记录双侧背最长肌的激活。使用矢量编码来分析骨盆和躯干胸段之间的协调性。结果表明，尽管质心仅在中外侧方向上跨步宽变化，但所有三个平面中的躯干运动学都受步宽变化的影响。躯干段的角偏移仅在横向平面中具有更大的宽度时才增加。胸部骨盆的运动学协调受横向平面上较宽的宽度和额叶面较窄的宽度的影响更大。随着步幅变窄，峰值最长肌激活和双边共激活增加。作为控制任务，以不同的步幅行走不仅是从窄到宽调整的连续过程。而是，从优选宽度变窄的步长和变宽的步长代表了以不同方式进行管理的独特控制挑战。该研究为将来在不同人群中步态进行躯干研究提供了基础。胸部骨盆的运动学协调受横向平面上较宽的宽度和额叶面较窄的宽度的影响更大。随着步幅变窄，峰值最长肌激活和双边共激活增加。作为控制任务，以不同的步幅行走不仅是从窄到宽调整的连续过程。而是，从优选宽度变窄的步长和变宽的步长代表了以不同方式进行管理的独特控制挑战。该研究为将来在不同人群中步态进行躯干研究提供了基础。胸骨的运动学协调受横向平面上较宽的宽度和额叶面较窄的宽度的影响更大。随着步幅变窄，峰值最长肌激活和双边共激活增加。作为控制任务，以不同的步幅行走不仅是从窄到宽调整的连续过程。而是，从优选宽度变窄的步长和变宽的步长代表了以不同方式进行管理的独特控制挑战。该研究为将来在不同人群中步态进行躯干研究提供了基础。以不同的步幅行走不仅是从窄到宽的连续调整。而是，从优选宽度变窄的步长和变宽的步长代表了以不同方式进行管理的独特控制挑战。该研究为将来在不同人群中步态进行躯干研究提供了基础。以不同的步幅行走不仅是从窄到宽的连续调整。而是，从优选宽度变窄的步长和变宽的步长代表了以不同方式进行管理的独特控制挑战。该研究为将来在不同人群中步态进行躯干研究提供了基础。