Does postural instability affect the initiation of human gait?
During gait initiation (GI), decoupling of the center of mass and center of pressure allows the center of mass to fall forwards. Subjects initiated gait rapidly before and after tibial nerve block of the tibial nerve. Static single limb stability, stance limb ground reaction forces, electromyogram and temporal data were measured. It was hypothesized that postural stability would decrease post-block and that this would affect the kinetic and temporal properties of GI. Subjects had significantly decreased postural stability post-block and changes in normal gait kinetics, however, no changes were noted in ground reaction forces or relative temporal data of the GI task. The finding that GI was unaffected by diminished single leg postural instability suggests that GI is a pre-programmed task.
Fiolkowski
Paul
P
Department of Physical Therapy, University of Florida, P.O. Box 100154 HSC, Gainesville, FL 32610-0154, USA.
Brunt
Denis
D
Bishop
Mark
M
Woo
Raymond
R
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000494:pharmacology; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004576:Electromyography; D005246:Feedback / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005684:Gait / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000494:pharmacology; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology*; D009407:Nerve Block; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D011434:Proprioception / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013979:Tibial Nerve / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D014110:Touch / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D016474:Weight-Bearing / Q000502:physiology
D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D008012:Lidocaine