Background High-heeled shoes has been thought to alter lower extremity joint mechanics during gait, however its effects on the knee remain unclear. Research question This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the effects of high-heeled shoes on the sagittal- and frontal-plane knee kinetics/kinematics during gait. Methods 1449 studies from 6 databases were screened for the following

Background Postural balance can be considered a conjoined parameter of gross motor performance. It is acquired in early childhood and honed until adolescence, but may also be influenced by various conditions. A simplified clinical assessment of balance and posture could be helpful in monitoring motor development or therapy particularly in pediatric patients. While analogue scales are considered unprecise

Background Stronger toe flexor muscles improve performance outcomes in children, including balance, sprinting, jumping and side stepping. Toe flexor strength (TFS) is recommended as part of the clinical assessment of foot function in children. Fixed dynamometry, rather than handheld, is the gold standard of measurement; however, it can be prohibitively costly. No fixed dynamometer reliability studies

Background Measuring gait function has become an essential tool in the assessment of mobility in aging populations for both, clinicians and researchers. A variety of systems exist that assess gait parameters such as gait cycle time, gait speed or duration of relative gait phases. Due to different measurement principles such as inertial or pressure sensors, accurate detection of spatiotemporal events

Background Falls are a serious challenge facing individuals post-stroke. In the past decades, various fall prevention interventions have been developed. It remains unknown if any of these interventions are effective in reducing falls in this population. Such a knowledge gap could impede the effort of preventing falls in people post-stroke. Research questions 1) Are there effective interventions to

Background Previous literature on the transverse head of adductor hallucis (AddH-T) has largely focused on muscle morphology. This data provides insight into muscle architecture, yet fails to inform it’s functional implication during walking. The role of the AddH-T, which runs parallel to the distal transverse metatarsal arch, has never been studied using fine-wire EMG during locomotion. Research question

Background Computerized dynamic posturography is commonly used to assess balance in service members, but normative values for the military population have not been established. Research question What are the normative values for the Motor Control Test (MCT), Sensory Organization Test (SOT) and the enhanced SOT (eSOT) within the military population and at which point do they differ? Methods Cross-sectional

Background Plantar pressure measurement has been proven to produce crucial information for gait analysis. Socks with integrated textile pressure sensors are a promising tool for non-obtrusive plantar pressure acquisition and monitoring. Research question Can the DAid Pressure Socks System be employed for the measurement of plantar pressure and temporal parameters during walking? Method Plantar pressure

Background There are numerous radiography and photogrammetry-based methods of assessing the cervical spine posture in the sagittal plane. The choice of instrument should be based on scientific parameters such as validity and reliability, thus avoiding restrictions to the applicability of the instrument. Research question What radiography and photogrammetry-based methods used to assess the cervical

Background Balance is considered to be task-specific as indicated by studies reporting only small-sized and non-significant correlations between types of balance (e.g., static, dynamic). However, it remains unclear whether these associations differ by age and the comparability of studies is limited due to methodological inconsistencies. Research question Are associations between types of balance performance

Background Impaired movement stability is a common symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD) that leads to falls and mishandled objects. Decline in synergistic stabilization of movement in PD patients has been observed in manual and postural tasks. However, locomotor synergies have not been quantified in PD patients. Research question The purpose of this work was to quantify the strength of the synergy stabilizing

Background Automatic postural responses are critical to prevent falls after a loss of balance. Although responses have been shown to be delayed in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), the degree to which other aspects of these movements are impacted by MS remains unknown. Research Question Do responses to in-place support-surface perturbations differ in PwMS compared to neurotypical adults? Are these

Background Dual Task (DT) paradigms are frequently used by researchers and clinicians to examine the integrity of motor processes in many movement disorders. However, the mechanism of this interaction is not fully understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the within-stride interactions between cognitive and motor processes during dual task gait (DT). Research question Do healthy young

Background Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common motor and movement disability in childhood. The mechano-morphological alterations of the spastic muscle itself as well as the functional limitations in CP are well documented. However, the relationship between muscle tendon properties and functional tests in CP remains unknown. Research question The aim of this study was to explore the relationship

Background Age-related changes of human gait characteristics associated with muscle weakness have been reported in previous studies. Human gait is considered as a cyclic motion adapted to individual body-characteristics and the surrounding-environment based on motion criteria. Based on this hypothesis, elderly gait characteristics may be caused by an adaptation to muscle weakness. Research question

Background When performing quantitative analysis of gait in older adults we need to strike a balance between capturing sufficient data for reliable measurement and avoiding issues such as fatigue. The optimal bout duration is that which contains sufficient gait cycles to enable a reliable and representative estimate of gait performance. Research question How does the number of gait cycles in a walking

Background While ankle muscles, highly affected by aging, are highly implicated in the changes in gait kinematics and involved in the limitation of seniors' mobility, whether neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) training of these muscles could impact gait kinematics in older adults has not been investigated yet. Research question What are the effects of 12 weeks of ankle plantar and dorsiflexors

Background Multidirectional walking, including backward walking, is integral to daily activities, and seems particularly challenging in older age, and in people with pathology affecting postural control such as dementia. Research Question Does exercise influence backward walking speed in people with dementia, when tested using habitual walking aids and without, and do effects differ according to walking

Introduction In three-dimensional gait analysis, anatomical axes are defined by and therefore sensitive to marker placement. Previous analysis of the Oxford Foot Model (OFM) has suggested that the axes of the hindfoot are most sensitive to marker placement on the posterior aspect of the heel. Since other multi-segment foot models also use a similar marker, it is important to find methods to place this

Background Dravet Syndrome (DS) is a developmental and epileptic encephalopathy characterized by severe drug-resistant seizures and associated with cognitive and motor impairments. Walking problems are frequently observed. As the foot plays a key role during walking, compromised foot function can be a feature of deviant gait. Aim To investigate foot function in DS by characterizing foot-floor contact

Background Dravet Syndrome (DS) is a developmental and epileptic encephalopathy starting in infancy and characterised by treatment resistant epilepsy with cognitive impairment and progressive motor dysfunction. Walking becomes markedly impaired with age, but the mechanical nature of gait problems remains unclear. Research question What are the kinetic strategies characterised in gait of patients with

Background The postural control in cerebral palsy (CP) is often deficient and manifests in a variety of impairments. Consequently, maintaining balance and controlling posture is impeded and results in an increased cost of locomotion and higher risk of falls. The margin of stability is an established measure to quantify dynamic stability during gait. It can be facilitated to analyze impaired control

Background Kinematic and kinetic foot models showed that computing ankle joint angles, moments and power with a one-segment foot modeling approach alters kinematics and tends to overestimate ankle joint power. Nevertheless, gait studies continue to implement one-segment foot models to assess the effect of total ankle replacement. Research question The objective of this pilot study was to investigate

Background When environmental conditions require accurate foot placement during walking (e.g., on a rough path), we typically walk slower to avoid tripping, slipping or stumbling. Likewise, hurrying too much is a common situational circumstance of walking-related falls. This suggests a tradeoff between walking speed and stepping accuracy in situations that demand precise foot placement. Research question

Background: Heeled footwear benefits people with movement disorder in the form of shoe lifts, wedges and inserts while its prolonged use causes foot injury in healthy people. There lies a need to detect parameters that affect COP progression of the foot and gait stability due to footwear. Research question: Do we have bipedal models that can estimate gait parameters corresponding to different center

Background Standing postural sway is often quantified from center of pressure trajectories. During assessments of longer durations, children may fidget, thus limiting the feasibility and validity of sway recordings. Research question Do postural sway sample durations less than 30 s maintain construct and concurrent validity? Methods In this case-control, observational study, we measured postural sway

Background There is limited data on fast gait speed and spatial-temporal parameters across age groups among Asian adults, and the associations between upper and lower extremity muscle strength with gait. Research question: The aim of this study was to present reference values for fast gait spatiotemporal parameters across the age groups of an Asian population and to investigate the associations of

Background Women are twice as likely as men to develop knee osteoarthritis (OA), and with it experience greater losses of physical function and disability. A change in the mechanical environment of the joint is a key initiating factor for knee OA. Differences in morphology, joint injury risk, and hormonal shifts in mid-life are often considered factors which increase OA risk for women. Pregnancy, a

Introduction Flatfoot deformity is commonly characterized by a subtalar valgus, a low medial longitudinal arch, and abduction of the forefoot. Although flatfoot deformity has been associated with lower first (KAM1) and second (KAM2) peak knee adduction moments during walking, the biomechanical connection remains unknown. Research question We hypothesized that hindfoot eversion, lateral calcaneal shift

Background Kinematic parameters of the trunk, pelvis and lower limbs are frequently associated with both running injuries and performance, and the target of clinical interventions. Currently there is limited evidence reporting the between-day repeatability of discrete kinematic parameters of the trunk and pelvis during treadmill running. Investigating the repeatability of discrete kinematic parameters

Background Previous research showed that hallux rigidus (HR) affects foot and ankle kinematics during gait. It is unclear if HR affects lower limb kinematics as well. Research question Does HR affect lower limb kinematics, and if so, is gait deviation correlated with patient-reported outcome? Methods This was a retrospective case-control study, including 15 HR patients and 15 healthy controls who underwent

Background Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is a chronic inflammatory arthritis that impacts biomechanical features of gait. This systematic review describes the effects of JIA on gait motion parameters and walking performance. Methods Six databases were searched (PubMed/Medline, Cochrane, the EBSCOHost database SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, and Embase). Studies were restricted to children with any

Background Force steadiness is evaluated as force variability during constant force exertion around a target level. Ankle plantar flexor force steadiness is reported to be related to postural sway on an unstable platform in healthy young adults; however, this relationship in older adults is unclear. Research question This study aimed to investigate whether ankle plantar flexor force steadiness was

Background Although stair ambulation should be included in the rehabilitation of the long-term effects of ACL injury on knee function, the assessment of kinetic parameter in the situation where stair gait can only be established using costly and cumbersome force platforms via conventional inverse dynamic analysis. Therefore, there is a need to develop a practical laboratory setup as an assessment tool

Background Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is associated with an increased trunk stiffness and muscle coactivation during walking. However, it is still unclear whether CLBP individuals are unable to control neuromechanically their upper body motion during a sudden termination of gait (GT), which involves a challenging balance transition from walking to standing. Research question Does CLBP elicit neuromuscular

Background In patients with peripheral arterial disease and presenting intermittent claudication (PAD-IC), the pain due to ischemia impacts gait parameters, particularly in cases of unilateral disease. Deterioration of gait parameters in a pathological context is frequently associated with increased coactivation (simultaneous activation of agonist and antagonist muscles around a joint). Research question

Background Generalized joint hypermobility (GJH) is a common, but often ignored, condition characterized by general joint laxity, which is reported to increase one’s risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and osteoarthritis. Nevertheless, it is not clearly learned in the prevalence and dynamic characteristics in college students. Research question Is the active motion stability in the six-degree-of-freedom

Background A better understanding of gait development and asymmetries in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may improve the development of treatment programs and thus, patient outcomes. Research question Does age affect walking kinematics and symmetry in children with ASD? Method Twenty-nine children (aged 6–14 years old) with mild ASD (level one) were recruited and assigned to one of the

Background Abnormal foot posture is a common complaint presented in pediatric and pediatric orthopedic clinics. Functional, objective assessment of foot posture, with the potential for early identification of pathologic foot deformities, has, however, been lacking to date. While quantifying functional and regional impulses via dynamic pedobarography can improve the clinical assessment of children’s

Background Sensory disorders frequently accompany the motor disorder in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Research question Do children with CP have sensory disturbances in their lower extremities, if there are sensory impairments, do these impairments affect gait? Methods In total, 45 children (18 females, 27 males) with spastic CP in an age range between 5 and 18 years were included in the study:

Background During training, service members routinely walk with heavy body borne loads for long periods of time. These loads alter knee biomechanics and may produce jerky knee motions that reportedly increase joint loading and risk of musculoskeletal injury. Yet, it is unknown if service members use jerky knee motions during prolong walking with body borne load. Research question To quantify the effects

Background Postural control is impaired in older adults, as evidenced from greater variability of the center of pressure (COP) during postural tasks. Although COP variability associates with low-frequency COP oscillations (<1 Hz) in young adults, it remains unknown if the age-associated increase in COP variability relates to greater low-frequency COP oscillations. Research question Do low-frequency

Background Interference effects have repeatedly been demonstrated for simple motor tasks but not for the complex whole-body task of balancing. It was therefore assumed that different balance tasks are so specific that they do not elicit interacting adaptations; neither in a positive (contextual interference) nor in a negative way (disruption of motor consolidation). Research question Is a novel balancing

Background Modifying the longitudinal bending stiffness (LBS) of footwear has become a popular method to improve sport performance. It has been demonstrated to influence running economy by altering lower extremity joint level mechanics. Previous studies have only examined within-participant effects at one running speed. Research question Do joint level mechanics differ in response to varying footwear

Background Soldiers that suffer a service-related knee musculoskeletal injury routinely develop joint osteoarthritis. Knee osteoarthritis is a substantial and costly problem among soldiers, yet it is unknown how body borne load and duration of walking impact knee adduction biomechanics linked to progression and severity of osteoarthritis. Research question This study determined the adaptations in magnitude

Background Individuals with a lower limb amputation (LLA) have an increased risk of falls and often report lower balance confidence. They must compensate for altered mechanics and prosthetic limitations in order to execute appropriate motor responses to postural perturbations. Personalised exercise could be an effective strategy to enhance balance and reduce falls. Research question In this study,

Background Several studies compared African runners with runners from other places with difference ethnicities to identify biomechanical factors that may contribute to their extraordinary running performance. However, most studies only assessed runners at the elite level. Whether the performance difference was a result of nature or nurture remains unclear. Research questions This case study aimed to

Background Previous research showed that standing on textured surfaces can improve postural control by adapting somatosensory inputs from the plantar foot. The additional stimulation of plantar cutaneous mechanoreceptors by a textured surface during single-leg stance on a balance board may increase afferent information to the central nervous system to accelerate muscular responses and to enhance their

Background Assessing postural stability in Parkinson’s disease (PD) often relies on measuring the stepping response to an imposed postural perturbation. The standard clinical technique relies on a brisk backwards pull at the shoulders by the examiner and judgement by a trained rater. In research settings, various quantitative measures and perturbation directions have been tested, but it is unclear

Background Emerging research has suggested a plausible relationship may exist between lower limb coordination and musculoskeletal injury. A small number of studies have investigated the link between coordination and anterior cruciate injury during sidestep cutting. While prior work has shown unanticipated sidestep cutting to exhibit a more ‘at risk’ kinematic profile compared to anticipated tasks,

Background While mini-trampolines have been used among a variety of groups including children as an intervention tool, the motor behavior children adopt while hopping on this soft, elastic surface is unknown. Identifying coordinative structures and their stability for hopping on a mini-trampoline is imperative for recommending future interventions and determining appropriateness to populations with

Background Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is the most common running-related injury. Altered hip and knee kinematics and increases in weekly distance and running pace are often associated with PFP development and exacerbation. Research question Are altered movements and training load characteristics (weekly distance and running pace) relate to pain intensity or physical function level in runners with PFP

Background Backward walking and fast walking have distinctive gait patterns in adults; however, there is minimal literature describing these gait modifications in typically developing children. Additionally, most of previous research focused on overground backward walking, but not on a treadmill. Research question How do typically developing children adapt their gait patterns, including spatiotemporal

Background Identifying which EEG signals distinguish left from right leg movements in imagined lower limb movement is crucial to building an effective and efficient brain-computer interface (BCI). Past findings on this issue have been mixed, partly due to the difficulty in collecting and isolating the relevant information. The purpose of this study was to contribute to this new and important literature

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine how attentional focus during training influences the effects of a 6-week hip-knee strength training program on pain, function, strength, and kinematics in males and females with Patellofemoral pain (PFP). Methods Seventy-five males and females with PFP were randomly allocated to a group that trained with an internal focus (n = 25), a group that trained

Background. Several articular, muscular and neurological diseases generate mobility and coordination loss in the shoulder and pelvic girdles. Joint mobilization contributes to improving girdles dissociation, but current mobilization techniques aren’t always successful. Research question. To determine the optimal running frequency of a trunk and pelvis mobilization technique, in supine position, that

Background The altered coordination variability was related to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) re-injury after ACL reconstruction (ACL-R). As motor performance is affected by the cognitive loading, understanding the interaction of cognition and coordination variability is crucial for addressing secondary injury prevention and restoring function in rehabilitation programs. Research Question To investigate

Background Measuring dynamic vertical ground reaction force allows for assessment of important clinical and physical capacity factors such as weight bearing asymmetry, force distribution, and rate of force development. However, current technologies for accurately assessing ground reaction force are typically expensive. Research Question The aim of this study was to examine the validity and reliability

Background Attempts to improve protocol standards of marker-based clinical gait analysis (CGA) have been one of the main focuses of research to enhance robustness and reliability outcomes since the 1990s. Determining joint centres and axes constitutes an important aspect of those protocols. Although the hip joint is more prominent in such studies, knee joint center (KJC) and axis (KJA) directly affect

Background People living with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience impairments in