How Does Ankle Mechanical Stiffness Change as a Function of Muscle Activation in Standing and During the Late Stance of Walking?

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Ankle joint stiffness is known to be modulated by co-contraction of the ankle muscles; however, it is unclear to what extent changes in agonist muscle activation alone affect ankle joint stiffness. This study tested the effects of varying levels of ankle muscle activation on ankle joint mechanical stiffness in standing and during the late stance phase of walking.

Methods

Dorsiflexion perturbations were applied at various levels of ankle muscle activation via a robotic platform in standing and walking conditions. In standing, muscle activation was modulated by having participants perform an EMG target matching task that required varying levels of plantarflexor activation. In walking, muscle activation was modulated by changing walking speeds through metronome-based

SUBMITTER: Joshi V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9107298 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature