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Objective To compare the spatial-temporal parameters and walking kinematics of toddlers wearing biomimetic shoes, regular shoes (daily use owned shoes), and barefoot. Methods Spatial-temporal parameters (speed, step length, and stride width), the mean vertical displacement of the center of mass (COM), knee flexion peak, and maximal foot height were analyzed. Results Children were not different in biomimetic shoes and barefoot conditions on speed, step length, and COM vertical displacement. There was no difference among conditions on stride width and foot height. The knee flexion peak was greater in shod conditions than barefoot. The regular shoes showed greater COM vertical displacement than biomimetic shoes and barefoot. Conclusion The findings showed that shoes affected the walking pattern in young children, but a shoe with a biomimetic design had a lesser effect on the walking pattern.

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Abstract Objective To compare the spatial-temporal parameters and walking kinematics of toddlers wearing biomimetic shoes, regular shoes (daily use owned shoes), and barefoot. Methods Spatial-temporal parameters (speed, step length, and stride width), the mean vertical displacement of the center of mass (COM), knee flexion peak, and maximal foot height were analyzed. Results Children were not different in biomimetic shoes and barefoot conditions on speed, step length, and COM vertical displacement. There was no difference among conditions on stride width and foot height. The knee flexion peak was greater in shod conditions than barefoot. The regular shoes showed greater COM vertical displacement than biomimetic shoes and barefoot. Conclusion The findings showed that shoes affected the walking pattern in young children, but a shoe with a biomimetic design had a lesser effect on the walking pattern.

Resumo Objetivo O objetivo deste trabalho foi comparar os parâmetros espaço temporais e cinemáticos da marcha de crianças típicas em três condições: descalças, usando calçados biomiméticos e, calçados de uso diário (não biomiméticos - próprios das crianças). Métodos Foram analisadas variáveis espaço temporais (velocidade, comprimento e largura da passada), deslocamento vertical do centro de massa (CM), pico de flexão do joelho e altura máxima do pé, coletados via avaliação tridimensional do movimento. Resultados Comparado com a condição descalça, o uso do calçado biomimético não foi estatisticamente diferente em relação a velocidade da marcha, comprimento da passada e altura do pé. A largura da passada e a altura do pé não foi diferente estatisticamente entre as condições estudadas. O pico de flexão do joelho foi maior nas condições com calçados comparado a condição descalça. Os calçados de uso diário apresentaram maior deslocamento vertical do COM do que nas condições com o calçado biomimético e descalço. Conclusão Os achados deste trabalho reafirmam que o uso do calçado influencia a marcha de crianças, especificamente na fase de desenvolvimento da marcha mas, que calçados com um design biomimético tem menores impactos no padrão de marcha das crianças.

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OBJECTIVE: To identify subgroups of runners' profiles who had or did not have a History of Running-Related Injury in the Shank and Foot (HRRI-SF). DESIGN: Cross-sectional. METHODS: Clinical measures of passive ankle stiffness (measured as ankle position (compliance) to index passive joint stiffness), forefoot-shank alignment, peak torque of ankle plantar flexors, years of running experience, and age were analyzed through Classification and Regression Tree (CART). RESULTS: The CART identified four subgroups of runners with a greater prevalence of HRRI-SF: (1) ankle stiffness ≤0.42°; (2) ankle stiffness >0.42°, age ≤23.5 years, and forefoot varus >19,64°; (3) ankle stiffness >0.42°, age >62.5 years, and forefoot varus ≤19.70°; (4) ankle stiffness >42°, age >62.5 years, forefoot varus >19.70°, and running experience ≤7 years. Three subgroups had a lower prevalence of HRRI-SF: (1) ankle stiffness >0.42° and age between 23.5 and 62.5 years; (2) ankle stiffness >0.42°, age ≤23.5 years, and forefoot varus ≤14.64°; (3) ankle stiffness >0.42°, age >62.5 years, forefoot varus >19.7°, and running experience >7 years. CONCLUSION: One runner profile subgroup showed that higher ankle stiffness could predict HRRI-SF without association with other variables. Distinct interactions among variables characterized the other subgroups' profiles. The identified interactions among the predictors used to characterize the runners' profiles could be used in clinical decision-making.

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Objective To evaluate the biomechanical behavior of the medial longitudinal arch (MLA) of the foot and the kinematic parameters of the lower limbs with biomimetic footwear (BF) and non-biomimetic (NB1, NB2, NB3 and NB4) footwear in children at the beginning of the gait acquisition phase. Methods Four toddlers were evaluated at the beginning of the gait acquisition phase under the following conditions: walking barefoot, ambulation with BF and NB1, NB2, NB3 and NB4 footwear in hard floor. BF is described as biomimetic because of its property of emulating natural and irregular floors through a dynamic internal insole. The MLA and kinematics of the hip, knee, and ankle during gait were evaluated by three-dimensional motion analysis system. The similarity between the kinematic curves of barefoot and footwear conditions was analyzed by root mean square error (RMSE). Results The use of BF presented the highest magnitude of MLA and the greatest difference in relation to barefoot condition (higher RMSE). The BF showed less difference in the kinematics of the knee and ankle joints during gait when compared to barefoot condition (lower RMSE). NB2 footwear presented hip kinematics more similar to barefoot condition (lower RMSE). Conclusion Biomimetics footwear and NB2 shoes (both with wider forefoot region) generated smaller differences in lower limbs compared to barefoot. In addition, the MLA was higher in the BF, probably because different design from other shoes.

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Abstract Objective To evaluate the biomechanical behavior of the medial longitudinal arch (MLA) of the foot and the kinematic parameters of the lower limbs with biomimetic footwear (BF) and non-biomimetic (NB1, NB2, NB3 and NB4) footwear in children at the beginning of the gait acquisition phase. Methods Four toddlers were evaluated at the beginning of the gait acquisition phase under the following conditions: walking barefoot, ambulation with BF and NB1, NB2, NB3 and NB4 footwear in hard floor. BF is described as biomimetic because of its property of emulating natural and irregular floors through a dynamic internal insole. The MLA and kinematics of the hip, knee, and ankle during gait were evaluated by three-dimensional motion analysis system. The similarity between the kinematic curves of barefoot and footwear conditions was analyzed by root mean square error (RMSE). Results The use of BF presented the highest magnitude of MLA and the greatest difference in relation to barefoot condition (higher RMSE). The BF showed less difference in the kinematics of the knee and ankle joints during gait when compared to barefoot condition (lower RMSE). NB2 footwear presented hip kinematics more similar to barefoot condition (lower RMSE). Conclusion Biomimetics footwear and NB2 shoes (both with wider forefoot region) generated smaller differences in lower limbs compared to barefoot. In addition, the MLA was higher in the BF, probably because different design from other shoes.

Resumo Objetivo Avaliar o comportamento do arco longitudinal medial do pé (ALM) e os parâmetros cinemáticos dos membros inferiores durante a deambulação com calçados biomiméticos (CBs) e não biomiméticos (NB1, NB2, NB3 e NB4) em crianças no início da fase de aquisição da marcha. Métodos Foram avaliadas quatro crianças no início da fase de aquisição da marcha nas seguintes condições: andar descalço, andar com CBs e calçados NB1, NB2, NB3 e NB4 em solo plano. O calçado biomimético é descrito como biomimético por emular pisos naturais e irregulares por meio de uma palmilha interna dinâmica. O ALM e a cinemática do quadril, joelho e tornozelo durante a marcha foram avaliados por meio de sistema de análise do movimento tridimensional. A similaridade entre as curvas cinemáticas das condições descalça e com calçado foi analisada por meio do cálculo de root mean square error (RMSE). Resultados O CB foi o que apresentou maior magnitude do ALM e maior diferença do ALM em relação à condição descalça (maior RMSE). O CB apresentou ainda menor diferença na cinemática das articulações do joelho e tornozelo durante a marcha quando comparado à condição descalça (menor RMSE). O calçado NB2 apresentou a cinemática do quadril mais semelhante à condição descalça (menor RMSE). Conclusão Os calçados CB e NB2 que apresentam a região do antepé mais larga geraram menores diferenças na cinemática dos membros inferiores. Além disso, o ALM foi maior no CB provavelmente devido a seu design ser diferente daquele dos demais calçados.

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Movement analysis provides a vast amount of data, which, frequently, are not used in the clinical decision-making process. For example, traditional gait data visualization is based on a time-based display of joint angles, but part of the information is lost when these time-series are averaged across different gait strides. Horizon graph is a data display method that increases the density of time-series data by horizontally dividing and layering multiple filled line graphs. This higher data density increases the amount of information displayed in the same graph and, consequently, enables visual data comparisons between multiple time series. Horizon graph of kinematic data allows displaying several cycles of different joints and their respective continuous symmetry ratio between sides. The aim of this work is to introduce the Horizon graph as a method to analyze kinematic gait data and help to characterize its symmetry. Examples of Horizon graph application to running is offered. Horizon graph may prove to be a useful clinical tool to visualize kinematic time-series and facilitate their clinical interpretation.•Continuous gait time series is a powerful tool for clinical analysis.•Horizon graph, higher data density graph, increases the information displayed.•Horizon graph is a clinical tool to visualize kinematic curves.

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This study aimed to investigate the regularity of the lower limb joint kinematics in runners with and without a history of running-related injuries. The second aim was to verify if the movement pattern regularities are different among the lower limb joints. Eighteen asymptomatic recreational runners with and without a history of running-related injury participated in this study. Lower limb kinematics in the sagittal plane were recorded during running on a treadmill at a self-selected speed. The regularities of the time series of hip, knee, and ankle were analysed using sample entropy (SampEn). A mixed analysis of variance was used to investigate differences between groups and among joints. Runners with a history of injury had lower SampEn values than runners without a history of injury. Ankle kinematics SampEn was higher than that of the knee and hip. Knee kinematics had higher values of SampEn than that of the hip. Runners with a history of running-related injury had greater joint kinematic's regularity. This result suggests that, even in asymptomatic runners, previous injuries could influence the movement pattern regularity. Also, the regularity was different among joints. The ankle demonstrated the lowest regularity, reinforcing the different functions that lower limb joints perform during running.

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This study examined the coupling between visual information and body sway in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) compared with healthy controls. Postural control performance was compared between 14 patients with PD (age: 69.6 ±â€¯8.8 years - stages 1-3 of the Hoehn and Yahr scale) and 14 healthy control participants (age: 68.6 ±â€¯3.0 years). Participants stood upright in a moving room that remained motionless or continuously oscillated in the anterior-posterior direction. Ten trials were performed in the following conditions: no movement of the room (1 trial) and with the room moving at frequencies of 0.1, 0.17, and 0.5 Hz (3 trials each frequency). Body sway and moving room displacement were recorded. The results indicated that patients with PD displayed larger body sway magnitude in the stationary room condition. Body sway of patients with PD was induced by visual manipulation in all three visual stimulus frequencies, but body sway of patients with PD was less coherent compared to that of the control participants. However, no difference was observed in the visual-body sway coupling structure. These results indicate that patients with PD can unconsciously couple body sway to visual information in order to control postural sway in a similar manner to healthy participants with intact visual-motor coupling for posture control. However, this coupling is marked by greater variability, indicating that people with PD have a motor system with greater inherent noise leading to a more varied behavior.

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