Characterising intra- and inter-limb gait stability using minimum foot clearance

This research examined aging effects by characterising one parameter of the gait cycle from treadmill walking. The minimum foot clearance (MFC) during the swing phase of gait is an essential event that reveals two things: 1) how the locomotor system achieves control over many degrees of freedom when performing this spatial end point trajectory task while at the same time being challenged by postural stability; 2) the risk associated with tripping over an unseen obstacle due to the performance of this task. Poor gait stability and tripping induced falls are contemporary issues related to elderly populations, where characterising MFC variability from one stride to the next can provide important links between these issues.

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

rmaster

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Victoria University of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2002

Author dc:creator

• Taylor, Simon

• 1106 Human Movement and Sports Science
• School of Biomedical and Health Sciences

Language dc:language

en