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Movement Analysis of Lower Limb During Backward Walking with Unstable Intervention

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Abstract

Backward walking (BW), an emerging rehabilitative and training modality, was integrated with unstable sole construction with various hardness levels to analyze the kinematic and kinetic characteristics of the lower extremities. Eighteen participants volunteered to participate in the test. They performed walking tests under three conditions: (1) BW with normal shoes (NBW); (2) BW with unstable shoes with soft unstable elements (UBW-S); (3) BW with unstable shoes with hard unstable elements (UBW-H). The results show increased hip and ankle flexion and increased knee flexion–extension extent in the stance phase during BW with unstable shoes. The motor control mechanism of unstable BW enhanced the rehabilitation of lower limb deficiency. The attached unstable elements (UBW-S and UBW-H) induced local perturbation to stimulate proprioceptive ability and the neuromuscular system, changing the plantar loading distribution in a certain region. Future study should concentrate on the possible rehabilitative effect of unstable BW on neurological disorders and motor system deficiency.

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Acknowledgments

This study sponsored by Zhejiang Social Science Program ‘Zhi Jiang youth project’ (16ZJQN021YB), National Natural Science Foundation of China (81301600), K. C. Wong Magna Fund in Ningbo University, National Social Science Foundation of China (16BTY085), and Anta Sports Products Limited.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Sports Science, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China

    Yang Shu, Yaodong Gu & Qichang Mei

  2. Research Academy of Grand Health, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China

    Yaodong Gu

  3. Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand

    Qichang Mei & Justin Fernandez

  4. School of Engineering, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 8PY, UK

    Xuejun Ren

  5. School of Arts, Culture and Sports, Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok, Russia, 690091

    Sergei Popik

  6. Department of Engineering Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand

    Justin Fernandez

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  1. Yang Shu
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Correspondence to Yaodong Gu.

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Shu, Y., Gu, Y., Mei, Q. et al. Movement Analysis of Lower Limb During Backward Walking with Unstable Intervention. J. Med. Biol. Eng. 36, 718–725 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40846-016-0166-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40846-016-0166-4

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