Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T10:35:40.074Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Comparisons of Joint Kinetics in the Lower Extremity Between Stair Ascent and Descent

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 May 2011

H.-C. Lin ,
T.-W. Lu  and
H.-C. Hsu
H.-C. Lin*
Affiliation:
Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan 10617, R.O.C. School of Physical Therapy, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan 40402, R.O.C.
T.-W. Lu*
Affiliation:
Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan 10617, R.O.C.
H.-C. Hsu*
Affiliation:
School of Physical Therapy, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan 40402, R.O.C. Department of Orthopedics, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan 40402, R.O.C.
*
* Ph.D. candidate
** Associate Professor, corresponding author
*** Associate Professor, Medical Doctor
Get access

Abstract

Stair locomotion has been used in the rehabilitation of the lower extremity as a motor performance test and multi-joint exercise. Controversies exist regarding joint loads during stair locomotion. The purposes of the study were to investigate the three-dimensional kinetics of the lower limb joints during stair locomotion, and to compare them with those during level walking. Ten normal young adults walked, and ascended and descended stairs in a gait laboratory while kinematic and kinetic data were collected and analyzed. The results showed that the intersegmental resultant forces at the joints during the activities were generally similar in pattern but the force magnitudes, moments and angular impulses were significantly different. The general impression that the loads in the lower limb were larger during stair descent than stair ascent only holds for certain kinetic variables. Most of the peak joint moments and angular impulses over the entire stance phase were bigger during stair ascent than descent. The study provides a complete knowledge of the three-dimensional loading patterns at and dynamic functions of the lower limb joints during level walking and stair locomotion. It will be helpful for the planning and evaluation of treatment programs for patients with neuromusculoskeletal pathologies in the lower extremities.

Keywords

Stair locomotionJoint loadsLevel walkingKinetic analysis
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Mechanics , Volume 21 , Issue 1 , March 2005 , pp. 41 - 50
Copyright
Copyright © The Society of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, R.O.C. 2005

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Pfeifer, K. and Banzer, W., “Motor performance in different dynamic tests in knee rehabilitation,” Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, Vol. 9, pp. 19–27, (1999).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2.Goodwin, P. C., Morrissey, M. C., Omar, R. Z., Brown, M., Southall, K., and McAuliffe, T. B., “Effectiveness of supervised physical therapy in the early period after arthroscopic partial meniscectomy,” Physical Therapy, Vol. 83, pp. 520–35, (2003).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3.Risberg, M. A., Holm, I., Tjomsland, O., Ljunggren, E., and Ekeland, A., “Prospective study of changes in impairments and disabilities after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction,” Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, Vol. 29, pp. 400–12, (1999).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4.Andriacchi, T. P., Andersson, G. B. J., Fermier, R. W., Stern, D., and Galante, J. O., “A study of lower-limb mechanics during stair-climbing,” J. Bone & Joint Surg., Vol. 62A, pp. 749–759 (1980).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5.Livingston, L. A., Stevenson, J. M., and Olney, S. J., “Stairclimbing kinematics on stairs of differing dimensions,” Arch. Phys. Med. Rehabil., Vol. 72, pp. 398–402 (1991).Google ScholarPubMed
6.Kaufman, K. R., Hughes, C., Morrey, B. F., Morrey, M., and An, K.-N., “Gait characteristics of patients with knee osteoarthritis,” J. Biomechanics, Vol. 34, pp. 907–915 (2001).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.Riener, R., Rabuffetti, M., and Frigo, C., “Stair ascent and descent at different inclinations,” Gait & Posture, Vol. 15, pp. 32–44 (2002).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8.Nadeau, S., McFadyen, B. J., and Malouin, F., “Frontal and sagittal analyses of the stair climbing task in healthy adults aged over 40 years: what are the challenges compared to level walking?” Clin. Biomech., Vol. 18, pp. 950–959 (2003).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9.Moffet, H., Richards, C. L., Malouin, F. and Bravo, G., “Load-carrying during stair ascent: a demanding functional test,” Gait & Posture, Vol. 1, pp. 35–44 (1993).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10.Low, J. and Reed, A., Basic Biomechanics Explained, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, UK, pp. 173–174 (1996).Google Scholar
11.Costigan, P. A., Deluzio, K. J., and Wyss, U. P., “Knee and hip kinetics during normal stair climbing,” Gait & Posture, Vol. 16, pp. 31–37 (2002).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12. McFadyen, B. J. and Winter, D. A., “An integrated biomechanical analysis of normal stair ascent and descent,” J. Biomechanics, Vol. 21, pp. 733–744 (1988).Google Scholar
13.Winter, D. A., Biomechanics and Motor Control of Human Movement, 2nd Ed., John Wiley & Sons, Ine, New York, pp. 92–93 (1990).Google Scholar
14.Wells, R., “The projection of the ground reaction force as a predictor of internal joint moments,” Bull. Prosthetics Res., Vol. 18, pp. 15–19 (1981).Google Scholar
15.Kowalk, D. L., Duncan, J. A., and Vaughan, C. L., “Abduction-adduction moments at the knee during stair ascent and descent,” J. Biomechanics, Vol. 29, pp. 383–388 (1996).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16.Yu, B., Stuart, M. J., Kienbacher, T., Growney, E. S., and An, K.-N., “Valgus-varas motion of the knee in normal level walking and stair climbing,” Clin. Biomech., Vol. 12, pp. 286–293 (1997).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17.Grood, E. S. and Suntay, W. J., “A joint coordinate system for the clinical description of three-dimensional motions: application to the knee,” Trans. ASME J. Biomech. Eng., Vol. 105, pp. 136–144 (1983).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18.Wu, G., Siegler, S., Allard, P., Kirtley, C., Leardini, A., Rosenbaum, D., et al., “ISB recommendation on definitions of joint coordinate system of various joints for the reporting of human joint motion-part I: ankle, hip, and spine,” Journal of Biomechanics, Vol. 35, pp. 543–8, (2002).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19.Craik, R. L. and Oatis, C. A., Gait Analysis —Theory and Application, Mosby-Year Book, Inc., pp. 223–238 (1995).Google Scholar
20.Winter, D. A., Biomechanics and Motor Control of Human Movement, 2nd Ed., John Wiley & Sons, Ine, New York, pp. 51–66 (1990).Google Scholar
21.Yu, B., Kienbacher, T., Growney, E. S., Johnson, M. E., and An, K.-N., “Reproducibility of the kinematics and kinetics of the lower extremity during normal stair-climbing.” J. Ortho. Res., Vol. 15, pp. 348–352, (1997).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22.Perry, J. and Schoneberger, B., Gait Analysis: Normal and Pathological Function, Delmar Thomson Learning, New York, pp. 9–16 (1992)Google Scholar
23.Lin, H. C., Lu, T. W., and Hsu, H. C., “Three-dimensional analysis of kinematic and kinetic coordination of the lower limb joints during stair ascent and descent,” Biomedicai Engineering-Applications, Basis and Communications, Vol. 16, pp. 101–108 (2004).CrossRefGoogle Scholar