Dynamic stability during split-belt walking and the relationship with step length symmetry

•Margin of Stability (MoS) was assessed during split-belt treadmill walking.•Anterior-Posterior MoS revealed an adaptive response; medial-lateral MoS did not.•Anterior-Posterior MoS was related to step length symmetry during perturbed walking.•Correlations suggest there may be particular value in ma...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Gait & posture 2018-05, Vol.62, p.86-91
Main Authors: Darter, Benjamin J., Labrecque, Bethany A., Perera, Robert A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accidental Falls - prevention & control
Adaptation
Adaptation, Physiological - physiology
Adult
Exercise Test
Female
Gait
Gait - physiology
Healthy Volunteers
Humans
Locomotion
Male
Perturbation
Postural Balance - physiology
Stability
Treadmill
Walking - physiology
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Summary:•Margin of Stability (MoS) was assessed during split-belt treadmill walking.•Anterior-Posterior MoS revealed an adaptive response; medial-lateral MoS did not.•Anterior-Posterior MoS was related to step length symmetry during perturbed walking.•Correlations suggest there may be particular value in maximizing dynamic stability. Walking instability is a contributor to falls and other undesired changes in walking performance. We investigated the effect of split-belt treadmill based perturbations on dynamic stability. Furthermore, we examined the relationships for dynamic stability and symmetry during unperturbed and perturbed walking. Twenty healthy young adults completed unperturbed and perturbed walking conditions on a split-belt treadmill. The continuous perturbation involved moving the parallel belts at unequal speeds (1.5 m/s: 0.5 m/s). Margins of stability (MoS) and step length symmetry (SYM) were assessed. Stability and symmetry measures each decreased at the onset of the split walking perturbation. Only anterior-posterior (AP) MoS and SYM exhibited adaptive changes. Associations were found primarily for AP MoS with immediate changes in SYM at the onset of split walking, and over the duration of the split walking condition. Our findings suggest walking strategies were adapted to maintain dynamic stability when faced with a continuous perturbation. Additionally, dynamic stability was associated with symmetry during perturbed walking.
ISSN:0966-6362
1879-2219
DOI:10.1016/j.gaitpost.2018.03.006