Two biomechanical strategies for locomotor adaptation to split-belt treadmill walking in subjects with and without transtibial amputation.

ABSTRACT: Locomotor adaptation is commonly studied using split-belt treadmill walking, in which each foot is placed on a belt moving at a different speed. As subjects adapt to split-belt walking, they reduce metabolic power, but the biomechanical mechanism behind this improved efficiency is unknown. Analyzing mechanical work performed by the legs and joints during split-belt adaptation could reveal this mechanism. Because ankle work in the step-to-step transition is more efficient than hip work, we hypothesized that control subjects would reduce hip work on the fast belt and increase ankle work during the step-to-step transition as they adapted. We further hypothesized that subjects with unilateral, trans-tibial amputation would instead increase propulsive work from their intact leg on the slow belt

SUBMITTER: Selgrade BP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5340589 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature