Biomechanical implications in gait with partial body weight support in static and dynamic surfaces

• Grant number: 12/14634-9
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): October 01, 2012
• Effective date (End): September 30, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physical Education
• Principal researcher: José Angelo Barela
• Grantee: Marcela Regina de Camargo
• Home Institution: Pró-Reitoria de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa. Universidade Cruzeiro do Sul (UNICSUL). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The goal of the present research project is to compare spatial-temporal, cinematic, kinetic, eletromiography activation and inter- and intra-limb coordination of young adults walking with a partial body weight support system overground and on treadmill. Twenty adults, aging 18-25 years, will participate of this study. Participants will walk overground and on a treadmill, with a partial body weight support (0 and 30% of body weight unloaded). Spatial-temporal (walking velocity, stride length step, length, velocity and frequency stride); joint (hip, knee, and ankle) and segment angles (trunk, thigh, shank, and foot); ground reaction forces (impulse and force peaks); eletromiography activity (RMS and activation timing) from the rectus femoral, medial gastrocnemius during the support phase; inter- and intra-limb coordination (phase portrait, phase angle, and relative phase) along the stride will be obtained and compared between surfaces and body weight unloaded condition. Three intermediate walking strides will be considered for analysis, being defined as two consecutive foot ground contacts. Possible differences will be verified by MANOVAs, having as factors surfaces and unloaded weight conditions, both treated as repeated measures, and as dependent variables the respective values for all the mentioned variable groups. When applicable, univariate analyses and Tukey post hoc tests will be used (p<0.05)..

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

BARELA, ANA M. F.; DE FREITAS, PAULO B.; CELESTINO, MELISSA L.; CAMARGO, MARCELA R.; BARELA, JOSE A. Ground reaction forces during level ground walking with body weight unloading. BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL THERAPY, v. 18, n. 6, p. 572-579, NOV-DEC 2014. Web of Science Citations: 10.