title: Kinetic study of seita-fitting.
abstract: We have already presented two studies of the traditional carrier frame, the seita. In our first study, we reported on seita users supporting loads not on the lumbar vertebrae but on the sacrum. In the second study, we showed that carrying a load on the sacrum was efficient in terms of metabolic rate, muscle activity, cadence and subjective responses. The purpose of this study was to verify the effect of carrying a load on the sacrum in terms of gait pattern. We compared the kinetic parameters produced while carrying a load on the sacrum (LOS) with those produced while carrying a load on the lumbar vertebrae (LOLV). Maximum propulsive force and medial impulse were significantly larger in LOS than in LOLV. These results suggested that a normal gait pattern was maintained more in LOS conditions than in LOLV conditions. This indicated that seita-fitting was efficient for carrying and transporting loads.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Living Sciences, Otsuma Women's University, 12 Sanban-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-8357 Japan. masanori@otsuma.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawahara
authors.forename: Tomoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fuji
authors.forename: Noritsune
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
authors.forename: Keita
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishibashi
authors.forename: Haruhiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sato
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004867:Equipment Design; D006804:Ergonomics; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D007700:Kinetics; D017770:Lifting / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D011187:Posture; D012447:Sacrum / Q000502:physiology*; D014186:Transportation; D016138:Walking; D016474:Weight-Bearing / Q000502:physiology*