• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• 제16권4호
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• pp.31-38
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of changing the steps height on the joint moment of lower extremity in stair-descent activity of elderly persons. Data were collected by 3-D cinematography and force platform. 9 male elderly subjects in the 60s and 70s participated in this study. All subjects performed a stair-descent in four different heights of stairs (10, 14, 18, 22cm) having 5 step staircase. The results were as follows. 1. For the step height of 22cm the maximum. plantarflexion moment was the smallest and the largest for the step height of 14cm. 2. There was not a statistical difference shown for the extension moment of the knee joint for the different height of steps. 3. There was not a statistical difference shown for the flexion moment of the hip joint for the varying height of steps but on average for the 18cm step this increased rapidly. 4. The smallest maximum. value for inversion moment was revealed for the step height of 10cm and this increased significantly for the step height of 22cm. 5. The smallest maximum. value for abduction moment of the hip joint was revealed for the step height of 10cm and this increased significantly for the step height of 22cm. 6. There was no significant difference shown for the maximum. abduction moment for the hip joint. The main conclusion is that there is a huge difference in the moment of the lower extremities for the elderly while walking down a stairs with a step height above 18 cm and that this moment increased or decreased rapidly under a condition of step height being 22cm. With the results from this research and related research of elderly walking upstairs it can be shown that the step height has a large role in the safety for the elderly.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• 제16권3호
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• pp.24-31
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• 2009

This study aimed to investigate the effect of differing heel heights on the electromyographic (EMG) activity in vastus medialis (VM) and vastus lateralis (VL) during stair ascending and descending activities. A total of 26 healthy women volunteered to perform stair-ascending and stair-descending tasks with 3 heel heights: barefoot, 3 cm, and 7 cm. The EMG activities of the VM and VL were recorded during the tasks. During the stair ascending and descending tasks, the EMG activities of both VM and VL significantly changed with differing the heel heights (p<.05). Moreover, the EMG activities of VM and VL during the stair ascending task were significantly higher than the corresponding values during the stair-descending task (p<.05). However, there were no significant differences between the VM:VL EMG ratios for the 3 heel heights (p>.05). The VM:VL EMG ratios between the 2 tasks differed significantly in the 7 cm high heel condition (p<.05). Despite an increase in the EMG activities in both VM and VL during stair ascending and descending tasks, there was no change in the relative EMG intensities of VM and VL, which was measured by calculating the VM:VL ratio this result indicates that no VM:VL imbalances were elicited. The relative EMG intensities of VM and VL during stair descent were lower than the corresponding values during the ascent, suggesting that VM and VL may show an imbalance in the eccentric activation during the weight-acceptance phase. This study provides useful information that will facilitate future research on how heel height affects muscle activity around the knee joint.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• 제18권1호
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• pp.169-178
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• 2008

The goals of this study were to provide data of 3 dimensional ground reaction force(GRF) parameters during stair ascent and descent on three different stair runs and to investigate variability and asymmetry index of them. 10 healthy adults participated in this study and performed 7 different types of gait with 10 trials each. After data analysis, following results were found. Firstly, stair run did not affect on the pattern of GRF parameters, coefficient of variation and asymmetry index. Secondly, a significant different GRF pattern was found between level walking and stair walking. Especially, ascending stair walking has only large Fz1 and small Fz3 while level walking and descending stair walking have a "M" shape connected by Fz1, Fz2 and Fz3. Thirdly, only vertical GRF parameters of stair walking revealed acceptable coefficient of variation and asymmetry index.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• 제30권1호
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• pp.14-22
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• 2018

Purpose: This study examined the effects of the lower limb alignment on the pelvis, hip, and knee kinematics in people with genu varum during stair walking. Methods: Forty subjects were enrolled in this study. People who had intercondylar distance ${\geq}4cm$ were classified in the genu varum group, and people who had intercondylar distance <4cm and intermalleolar distance <4cm were placed in the control group. 3D motion analysis was used to collect the pelvis, hip, and knee kinematic data while subjects were walking stairs with three steps. Results: During stair ascent, the genu varum group had decreased pelvic lateral tilt and hip adduction at the early stance phase and decreased pelvic lateral tilt at the swing phase compared to the control group. At the same time, they had decreased minimal hip adduction ROM at the early stance and decreased maximum pelvic lateral tilt ROM and minimum hip rotation ROM at the swing phase. During stair descent, the genu varum group had decreased pelvic lateral tilt at the early stance and decreased pelvic lateral tilt and pelvic rotation at the swing phase. In addition, they had decreased pelvic frontal ROM during single limb support and increased knee sagittal ROM during the whole gait cycle. Conclusion: This study suggests that a genu varum deformity could affect the pelvis, hip and knee kinematics. In addition, the biomechanical risk factors that could result in the articular impairments by the excessive loads from lower limb malalignment were identified.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.61-73
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in the center of pressure (COP), ground reaction force (GRF) and joint angles of elderly people and young people while stair-descent. The participants in this experiment were 5 elderly people and 5 young people, each of which was asked to descend stairs of three different heights (8 cm, 16 cm, and 32 cm). As they climbed down the stairs, they received vibration stimulation on the lower limb. The change of COP, GRF and joint angles were analyzed during the standing phase. COP decreased as the Achilles tendon and tibialis anterior tendon were vibrated. Vertical GRF increased as the Achilles tendon was vibrated, and the joint angle differed according to vibration stimulation conditions. These results mean that ankle joint, knee joint and hip joint were influenced by the vibrations on the lower limb as the participants descended the stairs. It was concluded that the vibration stimulation on the lower limb allowed the participants to efficiently climb down the stairs.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• 제35권3호
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• pp.948-955
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to compare plantar pressure and COP parameters in three types of arch support insole during stair descent in elderly with flatfoot. A total of 14 women elderly were recruited for this study. Pedar-X was used to obtain plantar pressure(peak pressure, mean pressure, and contact area) and COP(distance, displacement, excursion) parameters. One-way ANOVAs were used to compare peak pressure, mean pressure, and contact area, distance of COP, displacement of COP, and excursion of COP. Among the plantar pressure parameters, significant(p<0.05) differences were observed in M3 for the peak pressure, M2, M3, and M4 for the mean pressure, and M2, M3, and M6 for the contact area. Among the COP parameters, distances of COP both in the mediolateral and anteroposterior axes revealed significant(p<0.05) differences. The larger peak pressure values of type A and B insoles were observed as compared to normal insole. The larger peak pressure and shorter COP distance values of type A and B insoles were observed as compared to normal insole.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• 제23권3호
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• pp.245-252
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect that various loads have on the lower limb biomechanics. The following variables were measured and analyzed; performance time for each phase, lower limb moments and joint angles, and ground reaction forces. The kinematic and kinetic data was recorded by 2 force platforms and a motion capture system while 12 healthy adults in their twenties stepped down three steps under loads of 0%, 10%, 20% BW. Results are as follows. First, the different loading conditions did not seem to significantly affect the performance times and the joint angles. Second, the largest ground reaction forces were observed at the 1 step at the 10% BW condition. Finally, at the 0% BW loading condition the right hip extension moment was the smallest and the left hip flexion moment was the largest. The results show that there are not any significant changes in the biomechanics of the lower limbs under loading conditions up to 20% BW. Further investigations including more loading conditions with more weights and more additional steps analyzed are needed.

• Journal of Life Science
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• 제19권10호
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• pp.1368-1373
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of waist size on the reliability and validity of pedometers to count steps in children and youth. The participants for this study were 20 children and youth, composed of 14 Hispanic and 6 Caucasian children. Ten children and youth had waist circumferences greater than the $85^{th}$ percentile (Body Mass Index (BMI)=$28.91\pm3.07$), and 10 children and youth had waist circumferences smaller than the $50^{th}$ percentile (BMI=$18.05\pm1.55$). To examine pedometer reliability, each child completed 3 ascent and descent trials up a set of 15 stairs while wearing a Yamax SW-701 pedometer. The main effect of trials was not statistically significant for the stair ascent trials F (2, 36)=2.575 or for the descent trials F (2, 36)=0.235. The trial by group interaction was also not statistically significant. To examine the influence of waist circumference on the validity of the pedometer in counting walking steps at a self-selected walking pace, the children and youth in the two groups completed a 400-m course. The main effect on the groups was statistically significant, F (1, 18)=7.489. The main effect of counting techniques was not statistically significant, F (1, 18)=2.983 (hand-counted vs. pedometer counted). Overall, the trial and trial by group interaction comparisons for the 400-m walk were not statistically significant, suggesting that the pedometer was equally valid as a tool for assessing walking steps in high waist circumference (HWC) and low waist circumference (LWC) in children and youth.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• 제9권4호
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• pp.319-329
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• 2015

The purpose of this paper is to analyze lower extremities pattern of daily activities and walking on the treadmill with passive body support system. The experiments will be used for basic research of developing active harness system. The experimental procedure has been validated on 5 healthy male subjects and we measured foot pressure and 8 section of lower limb muscles activities. The EMG results of ADL indicate that there have specific muscle activity patterns followed by each activities. The vastus lateralis muscle activities were highly seems on the activities that requires flection and extension of knee joint. The foot pressure value of stair descent activity was the highest due to the fact that it is come down to the direction of gravity. The results with the passive body weight support percentages show that the EMG and foot pressure values were declined according to increasement of the body weight support percentages. Therefore the body weight support system could apply gait rehabilitation system for various patients by changing the percentages of the body weight support.