Abstract
PURPOSE: This study investigated the activities of lower limb muscles according to the angle of a medio-lateral ramp while walking to promote awareness of the risks associated with a medio-lateral ramp. METHODS: This study was conducted on 20 healthy male adults. The muscle activities of the vastus medialis oblique (VMO), vastus lateralis oblique (VLO), tibialis anterior (TA) and peroneus longus (PL) were measured while the subjects were walking on a 3 m medio-lateral ramp. Five angles (flat, $2^{\circ}$, $5^{\circ}$, $10^{\circ}$, and $15^{\circ}$) were selected for the angle conditions of the experiment on a medio-lateral ramp. The activities were measured during the stance phase only in the middle cycle of a three-cycle walking experiment. The mean value obtained from the three walking tests was used for the analysis. RESULTS: Results showed that walking on a mediolateral ramp required more muscle activities than walking on a flat surface, through which balanced walking was achieved. CONCLUSION: Walking on a medio-lateral ramp requires proper muscle activation and control, without which the risks of injury to the joints of the lower limbs and falls are likely to increase. Therefore, special attention should be given to older people and the disabled under the condition of traversing a ramp.
