• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
• /
• v.20 no.4
• /
• pp.661-672
• /
• 2009

This study was conducted to investigate whether mat exercise and field exercise have effectiveness on the balance and gait in older adults. Thirty subjects were participated in this study. And they were all randomly divided into mat exercise and field exercise group. To evaluate the effects of mat and field exercise, subjects were evaluated by using One Leg Stand test which was static balance test, and Berg Balance test which was dynamic balance test. Finally Gait pattern was assessed by using 3-dimensional gait analysis system. The assessment parameters were evaluated before, after 3 weeks, and after 6 weeks treatments. And we received a consent form from all subjects. The results of repeated measures analysis of variance showed that One Leg Stand, Berg Balance, Stride length, Cadence, Velocity were significantly increased after than before exercise in both groups. So we conclude that therapeutic exercise that is mat and field exercise has effectiveness on the balance and gait in older adults.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.33-38
• /
• 2017

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of variations in arm swing during gait on movement of the trunk and pelvis. During the gait task, the angle of the trunk and pelvic rotation were analyzed according to arm swing conditions. Methods: Seventeen healthy males participated in this study. All subjects were analyzed for gait on a treadmill three times each under three different types of arm swing conditions - natural arm swing, restricted arm swing using a phone, restricted swing in both arms. 3-D motion analysis systems were used to collect and analyze the kinematic data of trunk and pelvic movements, and repeated one-way ANOVA was used to compare the trunk and pelvic kinematic data and symmetry index. The level of significance was ${\alpha}=0.05$. Results: The results showed kinematic differences in trunk and pelvic during gait based on the arm swing conditions. Specifically, there were significant differences in trunk rotation, left and right trunk rotation and symmetry index of trunk rotation during gait among the three arm swing conditions. ROM was used to calculate a symmetry index (SI) based on the average left and right trunk rotation in which a value closer to zero indicated better balance. The SI obtained for arm swing restricted with the phone was closer to -1 than the other conditions. Conclusion: Restricted arm swing due to use of a phone had the possibility to induce instability of postural control while walking, which could be seen to suggest a risk of falling during gait.

• Physical Therapy Korea
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.43-50
• /
• 2002

This study was designed to identify the effects of walking conditions (normal walking vs. toe-walking) on electromyographic (EMG) activity of gastrocnemius, tibialis anterior, and soleus muscle. Seven healthy adult males participated in this study. The exclusion criteria were orthopedic or neurologic disease, congenital anomaly or acquired deformity, or pain in low back or lower extremities. The maximal voluntary isometric contraction for each muscle was used for the reference contraction, and EMG activity of each muscle during normal walking and toe-walking was expressed as a percentage of reference contraction. The gait cycle was determined with two foot switches, and gait was normalized as 100% gait cycle for each condition. The maximal values of EMG activity in terminal stance (30~50% of gait cycle) of each condition were compared for data analysis. No significant differences were found in EMG activity of the tibialis anterior and soleus (p>.05), whereas significant decrement was found in EMG activity of gastrocnemius during toe-walking compared to normal walking (p<.05). There is a limitation to generalize the results of this study, because small number of subjects participated for this study and only EMG was used for data collection. The treatment methods should be developed to improve gait efficiency by substituting the weakened muscles secondary to upper motor neuron, or by strengthening the distal muscles in lower extremity.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.23-30
• /
• 2012

The purpose of this study was to apply treadmill training through motor learning to cerebral palsy children and examine its effects on their Gross Motor Functions. The subjects of this study were 13 spastic diplegia children who had difficulty in independent gait, and GMFCS level III, IV. We performed treadmill gait training using the principle of weight bearing, based on 4times a week for 30 minutes before and after each session physical therapy we gave weight bearing treadmill training 5 to 10 minutes, during 7 weeks(April 9, 2012~May 26, 2012) fittingly for the children's gait characteristics. In order to test how the weight bearing treadmill training affects spastic diplegia children's gross motor functions, we measured body mobility with Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM). These data were collected before and after the experiment and analyzed through comparison. Data collected from the 13 spastic diplegia children the results were as follows. For evaluating with regard to change in body mobility, significant difference was observed between before and after the experiment in measured gross motor functions, which were crawling, kneeling, standing, walking, jumping and running(p<0.05). According to the results of this study, when gait training through motor learning was applied to spastic cerebral palsy children, it made significant changes in their body mobility. Accordingly, for the effective application of gait training through motor learning to cerebral palsy children, it is considered necessary to make research from different angle on how such training affects children's mobility, activity of muscles in the lower limbs, and gait characteristics.

• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.296-302
• /
• 2022

This paper proposes a center of plantar foot pressure (CoP) trajectory estimation method based on Gaussian process regression, with the aim to show robust results regardless of the regions and numbers of FSRs of the insole sensor. This method can bring an interpolation between the measurement points inside the wearable insole sensor, and two experiments are conducted for performance evaluation. For this purpose, the input data used in the experiment are generated in three types (13 FSRs, 8 FSRs, 5 FSRs) according to the regions and numbers of FSRs. First, the estimation results of the CoP trajectory are compared using Gaussian process regression and weighted mean. As a result of each method, the estimation results of the two methods were similar in the case of 13 FSRs data. On the other hand, in the case of the 8 and 5 FSRs data, the weighted mean varies depending on the regions and numbers of FSRs, but the estimation results of Gaussian process regression showed similar results in spite of reducing the regions and numbers. Second, the estimation results of the CoP trajectory based on Gaussian process regression during several gait cycles are analyzed. In five gait cycles, the previous cycle and the current estimation results are compared, and it was confirmed that similar trajectories appeared in all. In this way, the method of estimating the CoP trajectory based on Gaussian process regression showed robust results, and stability was confirmed by yielding similar results in several gait cycles.

• Physical Therapy Korea
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.35-42
• /
• 2006

The walker provides stability for walking for people whose lower extremities are disabled. It is important to measure and determine the appropriate height of a walker to conserve energy and to improve function. The purposes of this study were to examine effects of walker height and gait velocity on triceps, latissimus dorsi muscle activation, and energy expenditure index (EEI) during ambulation with a walker. Fifteen healthy subjects participated in this study. Each subject was assigned a walker with one of three heights (high, standard, lower height) and of two gait velocities (comfortable gait velocity or fast gait velocity). Electromyographic data were collected from triceps and latissimus dorsi, and EEI was determined from each condition. Two-way repeated analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the statistical significance. Post hoc comparison was performed with the Bonferroni test. The results of this study were summarized as follows: 1. There was a significant difference in the %MVIC of triceps among different walker height factors. Post hoc comparison revealed that %MVIC of dominant triceps brachii was more significantly increased in patients who used the higher walker than those who used the lower walker (p<.05). 2. There were significant differences in the %MVIC of the latissimus dorsi among different walker height factors and gait velocity factors. Post hoc comparison revealed that the %MVIC of dominant latissimus dorsi was also more significantly increased in patients who used the higher walker than those who used the lower walker (p<.05) and in those who used the faster gait velocity than those who used the slower gait velocity (p<.05). 3. There were significant differences in the EEI among different walker height factors and gait velocity factors. Post hoc comparison revealed that the EEI was significantly increased among those who used higher and lower walkers compared with the standard walker. The EEI was also more significantly increased among those who used the fast gait velocity than those who used the slower gait velocity (p<.05). It has been concluded that increased muscle activation in triceps and latissimus dorsi was required when the walker height increased and that more energy was exp ended when the gait velocity increased. Therefore, from the findings of this study, it is recommended that walker height be adjusted according to the purposes of gait training and that healthy subjects conserve energy when ambulating with standard walkers in a comfortable gait velocity.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.101-108
• /
• 2020

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of treadmill walking training using the metronome on the gait pattern. METHODS: A total of 33 healthy persons were studied consisting of 17 female and 16 male in the 20-30 age group. A gait analysis program was installed on a treadmill with a built - in gait analysis sensor and laptop. After 9 minutes of treadmill walking, gait analysis was performed for 1 minute. The mean values of the differences in the step length, angle of COP, separation line standard deviation and step force of the lower legs affecting walking symmetry were calculated for treadmill walking and treadmill walking using the metronome. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to test the normality of the collected data and a paired t-test was performed to analyze the difference in walking before and after using the metronome. RESULTS: As a result of the analysis, the mean of difference between the measured values of the bilateral lower extremity for step length, angle of COP, separation line standard deviation and step force were statistically significant before and after treadmill walking using the metronome. CONCLUSION: Therefore, the treadmill walking training using the metronome is effective in decreasing the difference in the foot width, gait angle, gait distribution, and foot pressure. Because of this, the treadmill walking training using the metronome has a significant effect on walking symmetry among the elements for correct walking, which is a means for enabling efficient and continuous walking.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.47-52
• /
• 2009

Purpose: To examine the correlation between the gait speed and muscle activation or foot pressure in stroke patients. Methods: Twenty five functionally ambulant stroke patients (male/female: 15/10, mean age: $57.65\pm2.30$) were enrolled in this study. The patients were asked to walk on a plate at a self-selected and comfortable speed. Three walking trials were obtained and then averaged for data analysis. The gait speed and foot pressure were measured from a RS-Scan system. Activation of the quadriceps femoris muscle and biceps hamstring muscle (%RVC) were recorded using ProComp $Infiniti^{TM}$. Results: There was a significant positive correlation between Hamstring muscle activation (%RVC) and gait speed. The gait speed correlated with the foot pressure of the lateral metatarsal zone (M3-5) in the affected side. There was a correlation between the gait speed and the foot pressure of the lateral metatarsal (M3-5) and heel (medial, lateral) zone in the less-affected side. Conclusion: The gait speed is related to hamstring muscle activation and the characteristics of foot pressure. This information was observed in both the affected and less-affected sides, suggesting that rehabilitation programs should be implemented on both sides.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.85-92
• /
• 2016

PURPOSE: A good, valid, and feasible tool for evaluating sit to stand (STS) is needed to help clinicians quantify the STS ability of stroke patients and people with balance disorders. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the concurrent validity of the Nintendo Wii Balance Board (WBB) and a force plate during STS and gait. METHODS: Seventeen healthy adults performed five trials of STS and gait on the WBB placed on the force plate. The force plate and the WBB were compared in regard to center of pressure (COP) and ground reaction force (GRF) data that were collected simultaneously. The variables used for analysis were time (s), integral summation (%), COP path length (mm), COP x range, and COP y range, all of which were measured for both tasks. Counter (%), peak (%), and rebound (%) were analyzed for STS, and $1^{st}$ peak (%), min peak (%), and 2nd peak (%) were analyzed for gait. The concurrent validity was analyzed using an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and a standard error of measurement (SEM) with a 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: The concurrent validity of the WBB for STS ranged from fair to good (ICC=.701~.994, SEM=.029~3.815). The concurrent validity for gait was good (ICC=.869 ~.989, SEM=.007~2.052) aside from path length and x and y ranges of COP (ICC=-.150~.371, SEM=3.635~4.142). CONCLUSION: The GRF of the WBB has a good validity for STS and gait analysis. The WBB is remarkably portable, easy to use, and convenient for clinically assessing STS and gait.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.189-198
• /
• 2021

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of biomechanical variables on gait according to indoor and outdoor environmental conditions in elderly women at risk of falling. Method: 26 elderly women aged 70 years or older, and consisted of 13 elderly people with a walking speed of less 1.0 m/s and 13 people in the fall risk group as normal groups. Depending on the purpose of the study, physical examination and psychological questionnaire were prepared, and then walking was performed in an indoor/outdoor environment, and the gait pattern, muscle activity, and plantar pressure results were compared and analyzed in the elderly females through a 2 group × 2 environment 2-way repeted ANOVA analysis. Results: The gait variable showed an interaction effect the cadence. The muscle variables showed interaction effects in the rectus femoris and tibialis anterior muscles, and the interaction effects of the plantar pressure variables were confirmed in the forefoot and midfoot of the contact area, and the midfoot of the mean pressure. Conclusion: These results indicate that both groups are exposed to falls risk when gait in an outdoor environment, but the fall risk group has a higher risk of falls in both the gait pattern, muscle activity, and plantar pressure variables. The results of this study are considered to be helpful as basic data and development of exercise programs to prevent falls.