introduction: genu varum is considered a risk factor for knee osteoarthritis. being aware of postural swing changes in various standing positions among genu varum patients, provide insight to prevent osteoarthritis in this population. this study is undertaken to compare postural stability in various standing positions between young healthy and genu varum male individuals. materials and methods:...

STUDY DESIGN Controlled laboratory study using a cross-sectional design. OBJECTIVES To examine the kinematics and kinetics of the trunk and the physical characteristics of trunk and hip in golfers with and without a history of low back pain (LBP). BACKGROUND Modified swing patterns and general exercises have been suggested for golfers with back pain. Yet we do not know what contributes to L...

Golfers have better balance than their age-matched counterparts; however, it is uncertain if this persists during the swing as a function of skill level. The purpose of the study was to investigate dynamic postural control (center of mass (COM) motion) measured during different phases of the swing in golfers of varying proficiency. Eighteen healthy golfers were grouped by handicap: novice (no h...

The asymmetrical nature of hemiparetic gait is well known; however, the role of walking asymmetry for speed performance is unclear. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the range of walking speeds in chronic hemiparetic patients is associated with their gait asymmetry and postural sway. Twenty ambulatory patients with chronic unilateral supratentorial infarction were studie...

Purpose: The patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders of the knee joint. Hip muscles’ weakness is one of the reasons for PFPS occurrence. The aim of this study was to recognize the effective muscle group in prevention and treatment of patients with PFPS. Methods: This is a prospective and quasi-experimental study in which 30 participants (15 ...

BACKGROUND The effects of levodopa on balance and gait function in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) is controversial. This study compared the relative responsiveness to l-dopa on six domains of balance and gait: postural sway in stance; gait pace; dynamic stability; gait initiation; arm swing; and turning in people with mild and severe PD, with and without dyskinesia. METHODS We studied 1...

BACKGROUND Anticipatory postural adjustments during gait initiation have an important role in postural stability but also in gait performance. However, these first phase mechanisms of gait initiation have received little attention, particularly in subcortical post-stroke subjects, where bilateral postural control pathways can be impaired. This study aims to evaluate ankle anticipatory postural ...

Rett syndrome is an X-linked neurodevelopmental condition mainly characterized by loss of spoken language and a regression of purposeful hand use, with the development of distinctive hand stereotypies, and gait abnormalities. Gait initiation is the transition from quiet stance to steady-state condition of walking. The associated motor program seems to be centrally mediated and includes preparat...

The present study explored whether rapid stepping is influenced by the coordination of an arm pointing task. Nine participants were instructed to (a) point the index finger of the dominant arm towards a target from the standing posture, (b) initiate a rapid forward step with the contralateral leg, and (c) synchronize stepping and pointing (combined task). Force plate and ankle muscle electromyo...

This paper presents a general method for generating walking primitives for anthropomorphic 3D–bipeds. Corresponding control torques allowing straight ahead walking with pre–swing, swing, and heel–contact are derived by dynamic optimization using a direct collocation approach. The computed torques minimize an energy based, mixed performance index. Zero moment point (ZMP) and friction conditions ...