The goals of the study were to compare data of vertical ground reaction force (GRF) parameters during level walking, stair ascent and descent on three different stair inclinations and three different age groups. Twenty healthy subjects of three age groups (young 33.7 years; middle 63.6 years; old 76.5 years) were tested during the seven test conditions with 8-10 repetitions. Vertical forces wer...

OBJECTIVE Patients with diabetes with peripheral neuropathy have a well-recognized increased risk of falls that may result in hospitalization. Therefore this study aimed to assess balance during the dynamic daily activities of walking on level ground and stair negotiation, where falls are most likely to occur. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Gait analysis during level walking and stair negotiatio...

Muscle activation following total hip arthroplasty with a direct anterior approach has not previously been reported in the literature. This case report details the electromyography outcome of a 60-year-old male patient with unilateral direct anterior approach-total hip arthroplasty during walking and stair activities. Outcome reports the continuation of altered muscle activation 12 months posto...

BACKGROUND Stair-stepping motion is important in daily living, similar to gait. Knee prostheses need to have even more superior performance and stability in stair-stepping motion than in gait. The purpose of this analysis was to estimate in vivo knee motion in stair stepping and determine if this unique knee prosthesis function as designed. METHODS A total of 20 patients with Bi-Surface poste...

Although the visual system is known to provide relevant information to guide stair locomotion, there is less understanding of the specific contributions of foveal and peripheral visual field information. The present study investigated the specific role of foveal vision during stair locomotion and ground-stairs transitions by using a dual-task paradigm to influence the ability to rely on foveal ...

Introduction There is no doubt that higher physical activity and fitness levels are inversely associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) [1]. Yet, most Europeans and Americans do not meet current minimum physical activity recommendations [2] and the prevalence of CVD risk factors related to a sedentary lifestyle, such as obesity and diabetes, is increasing at an alarming rate [3,4...

Thirteen school children aged 12.21 ± 0.98 years carried backpack and one-strap athletic bag during their stair ascent and descent. The load weights of the bags included 0%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of body weight. A Novel Pedar System was used to record and analyze the insole pressure during stair descending with different loads. The first peak force was 1.59 times the second peak force. A load of 15...

Here we show that novel, energy-recycling stairs reduce the amount of work required for humans to both ascend and descend stairs. Our low-power, interactive, and modular steps can be placed on existing staircases, storing energy during stair descent and returning that energy to the user during stair ascent. Energy is recycled through event-triggered latching and unlatching of passive springs wi...