Article

Kinematic multi-segment foot models have seen increased use in clinical and
research settings, but the addition of kinetics has been limited and hampered by
measurement limitations and modeling assumptions. In this second of two companion
papers, we complete the presentation and analysis of a three segment kinetic foot
model by incorporating kinetic parameters and calculating joint moments and
powers. The model was tested on 17 pediatric subjects (ages 7-18 years) during
normal gait. Ground reaction forces were measured using two adjacent force
platforms, requiring targeted walking and the creation of two sub-models to
analyze ankle, midtarsal, and 1st metatarsophalangeal joints. Targeted walking
resulted in only minimal kinematic and kinetic differences compared with walking
at self selected speeds. Joint moments and powers were calculated and ensemble
averages are presented as a normative database for comparison purposes. Ankle
joint powers are shown to be overestimated when using a traditional
single-segment foot model, as substantial angular velocities are attributed to
the mid-tarsal joint. Power transfer is apparent between the 1st
metatarsophalangeal and mid-tarsal joints in terminal stance/pre-swing. While the
measurement approach presented here is limited to clinical populations with only
minimal impairments, some elements of the model can also be incorporated into
routine clinical gait analysis.
CI - Copyright (c) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS