Citation

Vlutters M, Van Asseldonk EH, van der Kooij H. J. Exp. Biol. 2016; 219(Pt 10): 1514-1523.

Affiliation

Department of Biomechanical Engineering, University of Twente, Netherlands Department of Biomechanical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Company of Biologists Limited)

DOI

10.1242/jeb.129338

PMID

26994171

Abstract

In many simple walking models foot placement dictates the center of pressure location and ground reaction force components, whereas humans can modulate these aspects after foot contact. Because of the differences, it is unclear to what extend predictions made by models are valid for human walking. Yet, both model simulations and human experimental data have previously indicated that the center of mass (COM) velocity plays an important role in regulating stable walking.Here, perturbed human walking was studied for the relation of the horizontal COM velocity at heel strike and toe-off with the foot placement location relative to the COM, the forthcoming center of pressure location relative to the COM, and the ground reaction forces. Ten healthy subjects received various magnitude mediolateral and anteroposterior pelvis perturbations at toe-off, during 0.63 and 1.25 m s(-1) treadmill walking.At heel strike after the perturbation, recovery from mediolateral perturbations involved mediolateral foot placement adjustments proportional to the mediolateral COM velocity. In contrast, for anteroposterior perturbations no significant anteroposterior foot placement adjustment occurred at this heel strike. However, in both directions the COM velocity at heel strike related linearly to the center of pressure location at the subsequent toe-off. This relation was affected by the walking speed and was, for the slow speed, in line with a COM velocity based control strategy previously applied by others in a linear inverted pendulum model. Finally, changes in gait phase durations suggest that the timing of actions could play an important role during the perturbation recovery.

© 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Language: en