Cueing Changes in Peak Vertical Ground Reaction Force to Improve Coordination Dynamics in Walking

Abstracts

Biofeedback has been effectively implemented to improve the mediation and distribution of joint loads during gait, however, the inability to effectively coordinate lower limb movement by altering loading patterns may increase pathological stress and risk of injury and deleterious joint changes. This study examined the influence cueing an increase or decrease in lower extremity loading has on inter- and intralimb joint coordination during gait, applied herein for 12 persons following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction across three loading conditions (control, high, and low). Visual biofeedback was presented on a screen via a force-measuring treadmill with targeted changes prescribed based on stride-to-stride peak vertical ground reaction forces bilaterally. The pattern and stability of coordination dynamics among each of the ankle, hip and knee joint pairs were assessed via discrete relative phase and cross-recurrence quantification analyses for each condition. High and low loading altered the pattern and stability of intralimb coordination; low loading led to decreased coordination stability (20° greater than control condition) and high loading resulted in a more tightly coupled coordination pattern (higher %CDET). With thoughtful consideration for movement control, biofeedback can be used to target mechanisms leading to long-term deleterious joint adaptations.

Keywords:

• biofeedback
• anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction
• cross recurrence
• relative phase

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Research reported in this manuscript was supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases of the National Institutes of Health (1R21AR074094-01). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.