title: The connection between anthropometry and gait harmony unveiled through the lens of the golden ratio.
abstract: In nature, many systems have a harmonic organization due to their fractal structure related to an irrational number called golden ratio. That is a constant proportion found in phases of human gait cycle, and is also found in the lengths of human body segments. In this study we tested if artificial alterations in anthropometric proportions may alter gait proportions. Twenty healthy subjects (29.15±5.66years) were enrolled in this study and asked to walk normally and with special shoes altering their anthropometric proportions. Further, to test if the relationship between gait phases and anthropometry could be due to the pendular mechanism of walking, subjects were also asked to walk with extra masses located on their shanks. Results showed that the artificial alteration of body segment proportions affected the gait ratio based on the proportion of time between stance and swing (p=0.015). Conversely, no changes occurred during walking in weighted condition (p=0.394). These results confirm the connection between anthropometric proportions and gait ratio, and suggest the idea that humans may have evolved into the actual anthropometric proportions for favoring a walking having a golden ratio based harmony, but research is required to verify this hypothesis.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory of Experimental Neurorehabilitation, Santa Lucia Foundation, I.R.C.C.S., via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: m.iosa@hsantalucia.it.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iosa
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory of Experimental Neurorehabilitation, Santa Lucia Foundation, I.R.C.C.S., via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: g.morone@hsantalucia.it.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morone
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, "Sapienza" University of Rome, via Eudossiana 18, 00184 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: fabiano.bini@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Fabiano
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bini
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory of Experimental Neurorehabilitation, Santa Lucia Foundation, I.R.C.C.S., via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: a.fusco@hsantalucia.it.
authors.forename: Augusto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fusco
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory of Experimental Neurorehabilitation, Santa Lucia Foundation, I.R.C.C.S., via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: s.paolucci@hsantalucia.it.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paolucci
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, "Sapienza" University of Rome, via Eudossiana 18, 00184 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: franco.marinozzi@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marinozzi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016138:Walking
keywords: Gait analysis; Golden ratio; Locomotion; Motor control