Article

Load carriage walking (LCW) challenges a person's balance as the load increases
their forward trunk inclination, shifting the center of mass (COM) forward with
respect to the base of support (BOS). We examined LCW to understand whether and
how healthy people adjust the temporal relationship (TR) between the trunk and
leg for balance control. Ten subjects were recruited to perform unloaded walking
and LCW. The TR between the trunk and leg was measured by the continuous relative
phase. The maximum forward displacement of the COM with respective to the BOS
(FDCOM(BOS)) was recorded during the stance phase. We found that the TR was
shifted in LCW, and the shift was associated with a decrease in the maximum
FDCOM(BOS). The findings suggest that the TR between the trunk and leg
contributes to balance control, and it may be a variable that needs to be
addressed in gait rehabilitation.
CI - Copyright (c) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS