Control of Frontal Plane Motion of the Hindlimbs in the Unrestrained Walking Cat

2006 ◽  
Vol 96 (4) ◽  
pp. 1816-1828 ◽  
Author(s):  
John E. Misiaszek

This study describes the patterns of activity of hip abductor and adductor muscles and relates their activity to the frontal plane motions of the hindlimbs during unrestrained walking in the cat to provide insight into the function of these muscles in maintaining stability during walking. Electromyographic activity was recorded from hindlimb muscles while cats walked across a walkway. Four video cameras were used to record the movement of the animal in three dimensions. To further delineate the role of the hip abductors and adductors in regulating frontal plane movements of the legs, medial-lateral translations of the walking surface were periodically introduced. During walking, the hip abducts throughout much of the stance phase and adducts during swing. Normally, the abductors and adductors are co-active during much of the stance phase and are quiescent during swing. Consequently, the adduction observed during swing is likely the result of passive events. It is argued that the activity of the hip abductors during stance phase plays a prominent role in regulating frontal plane motion of the legs during walking. However, when medial-lateral stability is disturbed, both the hip abductors and adductors respond to stabilize the frontal plane motion of the body mass while also adjusting the frontal plane swing trajectory and subsequent paw placement. The balance corrective reactions observed in the cat after medial-lateral perturbations of the support surface reasonably approximate the reactions observed previously in humans, indicating that the cat is a reasonable model to explore the neural mechanisms of lateral stability during walking.

1997 ◽  
Vol 78 (6) ◽  
pp. 2975-2984 ◽  
Author(s):  
John E. Misiaszek ◽  
Keir G. Pearson

Misiaszek, John E. and Keir G. Pearson. Stretch of quadriceps inhibits the soleus H reflex during locomotion in decerebrate cats. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 2975–2984, 1997. Previously, it has been demonstrated that afferent signals from the quadriceps muscles can suppress H reflexes in humans during passive movements of the leg. To establish whether afferent input from quadriceps contributes to the modulation of the soleus H reflex during locomotion, the soleus H reflex was conditioned with stretches of the quadriceps muscle during bouts of spontaneous treadmill locomotion in decerebrate cats. We hypothesized that 1) in the absence of locomotion such conditioning would lead to suppression of the soleus H reflex and 2) this would be retained during periods of locomotor activity. In the absence of locomotion, slow sinusoidal stretches (0.2 Hz, 8 mm) of quadriceps cyclically modulated the amplitude of the soleus H reflex. The H reflex amplitude was least during the lengthening of the quadriceps and greatest as quadriceps shortened. Further, low-amplitude vibrations (48–78 μm) applied to the patellar tendon suppressed the reflex, indicating that the muscle spindle primaries were the receptor eliciting the effect. During bouts of locomotion, ramp stretches of quadriceps were applied during the extensor phase of the locomotor rhythm. Soleus H reflexes sampled at two points during the stance phase were reduced compared with phase-matched controls. The background level of the soleus electromyographic activity was not influenced by the applied stretches to quadriceps, either during locomotion or in the absence of locomotion. This indicates that the excitability of the soleus motoneuron pool was not influenced by the stretching of quadriceps, and that the inhibition of the soleus H reflex is due to presynaptic inhibition. We conclude that group Ia afferent feedback from quadriceps contributes to the regulation of the soleus H reflex during the stance phase of locomotion in decerebrate cats. This afferent mediated source of regulation of the H reflex, or monosynaptic stretch reflex, would allow for rapid alterations in reflex gain according to the dynamic needs of the animal. During early stance, this source of regulation might suppress the soleus stretch reflex to allow adequate yielding at the ankle and facilitate the movement of the body over the foot.


2012 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 3034-3042 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. E. Bolton ◽  
J. E. Misiaszek

Electrical stimulation of the lateral gastrocnemius-soleus (LGS) nerve at group I afferent strength leads to adaptations in the amplitude and timing of extensor muscle activity during walking in the decerebrate cat. Such afferent feedback in the stance leg might result from a delay in stance onset of the opposite leg. Concomitant adaptations in hip abductor and adductor activity would then be expected to maintain lateral stability and balance until the opposite leg is able to support the body. As many hip abductors and adductors are also hip extensors, we hypothesized that stimulation of the LGS nerve at group I afferent strength would produce increased activation and prolonged burst duration in hip abductor and adductor muscles in the premammillary decerebrate walking cat. LGS nerve stimulation during the extensor phase of the locomotor cycle consistently increased burst amplitude of the gluteus medius and adductor femoris muscles, but not pectineus or gracilis. In addition, LGS stimulation prolonged the burst duration of both gluteus medius and adductor femoris. Unexpectedly, long-duration LGS stimulus trains resulted in two distinct outcomes on the hip abductor and adductor bursting pattern: 1) a change of burst duration and timing similar to medial gastrocnemius; or 2) to continue rhythmically bursting uninterrupted. These results indicate that activation of muscle afferents from ankle extensors contributes to the regulation of activity of some hip abductor and adductor muscles, but not all. These results have implications for understanding the neural control of stability during locomotion, as well as the organization of spinal locomotor networks.


2001 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrienne E. Hunt ◽  
Richard M. Smith

Three-dimensional ankle joint moments were calculated in two separate coordinate systems, from 18 healthy men during the stance phase of walking, and were then compared. The objective was to determine the extent of differences in the calculated moments between these two commonly used systems and their impact on interpretation. Video motion data were obtained using skin surface markers, and ground reaction force data were recorded from a force platform. Moments acting on the foot were calculated about three orthogonal axes, in a global coordinate system (GCS) and also in a segmental coordinate system (SCS). No differences were found for the sagittal moments. However, compared to the SCS, the GCS significantly (p < .001) overestimated the predominant invertor moment at midstance and until after heel rise. It also significantly (p < .05) underestimated the late stance evertor moment. This frontal plane discrepancy was attributed to sensitivity of the GCS to the degree of abduction of the foot. For the transverse plane, the abductor moment peaked earlier (p < .01) and was relatively smaller (p < .01) in the GCS. Variability in the transverse plane was greater for the SCS, and attributed to its sensitivity to the degree of rearfoot inversion. We conclude that the two coordinate systems result in different calculations of nonsagittal moments at the ankle joint during walking. We propose that the body-based SCS provides a more meaningful interpretation of function than the GCS and would be the preferred method in clinical research, for example where there is marked abduction of the foot.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 195-204
Author(s):  
Pezhman Masoudi ◽  
◽  
Soheil Mansour Sohani ◽  
Ali Amiri ◽  
◽  
...  

Background and Objectives: Patellofemoral Arthropathy (PFA) is the most common knee disorder in runners and various factors can lead to the development of its symptoms. It has been proposed that frontal plane motions of the hip and knee can raise the dynamic quadriceps angle during functional tasks. The aim of this study was to evaluate frontal plane acting hip muscle flexibility and strength differences in male sprinter runners with unilateral PFA. Methods: A total of 38 male runners complaining of peripatellar pain or showing positive unilateral patellar grind test, assigned to the normal and sound legs, and 20 matched control groups were compared in this case-control study. Participants’ hip abductor and adductor muscles strength and their flexibility were evaluated through a hand-held dynamometer and 2D motion analysis tracker software. To measure the strength, participants were positioned side-lying position, performing abduction and adduction, while a dynamometer was placed on the lateral and medial femoral epicondyle. Active and passive abduction and adduction range of motion were recorded via a camera in the supine position and the film was analyzed by the software. Results: Abductor muscle strength and abduction-to-adduction ratio on the involved side were significantly lower than the uninvolved side (P=0.029, P=0.008, d=-0.388, d=-0.459), while greater adduction and lower abduction to adduction ratio were found in the control group (P<0.001, F=3.599). Also, lesser passive abduction and active adduction range of motion were found in the control group on both sides (P<0.001, F=2.792, F=8.979). Conclusion: Strength changes of the involved side compared with uninvolved side and less flexible side, but more probably inhibited and stronger adductors in the control group may suggest impaired muscular interaction based on frontal plane muscles torque/length curve function in unilateral PFA. Changes in the strength of the involved side compared to the healthy side and the adductor muscles with more flexibility and strength but more inhibited by the abductor’s muscles in the control group could indicate.


2008 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 243-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Becky L. Heinert ◽  
Thomas W. Kernozek ◽  
John F. Greany ◽  
Dennis C. Fater

Objective:To determine if females with hip abductor weakness are more likely to demonstrate greater knee abduction during the stance phase of running than a strong hip abductor group.Study Design:Observational prospective study design.Setting:University biomechanics laboratory.Participants:15 females with weak hip abductors and 15 females with strong hip abductors.Main Outcome Measures:Group differences in lower extremity kinematics were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA with one between factor of group and one within factor of position with a significance value of P < .05.Results:The subjects with weak hip abductors demonstrated greater knee abduction during the stance phase of treadmill running than the strong group (P < .05). No other significant differences were found in the sagittal or frontal plane measurements of the hip, knee, or pelvis.Conclusions:Hip abductor weakness may influence knee abduction during the stance phase of running.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renata Noce Kirkwood ◽  
Rosa de Lourdes Lima Dias Franco ◽  
Sheyla Cavalcanti Furtado ◽  
Ana Maria Forti Barela ◽  
Kevin John Deluzio ◽  
...  

Objective. To determine if gait waveform could discriminate children with diplegic cerebral palsy of the GMFCS levels I and II. Patients. Twenty-two children with diplegia, 11 classified as level I and 11 as level II of the GMFCS, aged 7 to 12 years. Methods. Gait kinematics included angular displacement of the pelvis and lower limb joints during the stance phase. Principal components (PCs) analyses followed by discriminant analysis were conducted. Results. PC1s of the pelvis and hip in the frontal plane differ significantly between groups and captured 80.5% and 86.1% of the variance, respectively. PC1s captured the magnitude of the pelvic obliquity and hip adduction angle during the stance phase. Children GMFCS level II walked with reduced pelvic obliquity and hip adduction angles, and these variables could discriminate the groups with a cross-validation of 95.5%. Conclusion. Reduced pelvic obliquity and hip adduction were observed between children GMFCS level II compared to level I. These results could help the classification process of mild-to-moderate children with diplegia. In addition, it highlights the importance of rehabilitation programs designed to improve pelvic and hip mobility in the frontal plane of diplegic cerebral palsy children level II of the GMFCS.


2013 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 1198-1203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Britta K. Krautwurst ◽  
Sebastian I. Wolf ◽  
Daniel W.W. Heitzmann ◽  
Simone Gantz ◽  
Frank Braatz ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
James Borrelli ◽  
Henry W. Haslach

Individuals with weak or paralyzed hip abductors may make use of two methods to reduce pathological gait kinematics as a result of their disability; reducing the need for the hip abductors or developing an equivalent torque on the body. Compensatory motions such as torso tilting or hip hiking “balance” the body reducing the need for the torque that would be developed by the hip abductors. A contralateral crutch develops a body torque that is equivalent to that developed by the hip abductors. Individuals with weak or paralyzed hip abductors intuitively adopt a wide crutch stance, contrary to the prescribed method where the crutches are vertical in the frontal plane. Using a wide stance angle in the frontal plane is hypothesized to improve gait with weak or paralyzed hip abductors more so than when using crutches in the traditional manner. Crutches develop a torque on the body that is equivalent to what would be developed by the hip abductors while standing still. A wide stance angle increases the moment arm that the crutch force acts through while standing still, increasing the torque developed, potentially increasing the positive effect of the crutch which may reduce the need for compensatory motions. However, a similar effect has not been characterized during gait. The hypothesis is that a wide crutch stance angle improves a gait with paralyzed hip abductors more so than a crutch used vertically in the frontal plane. The assumption is that this is accomplished by decreasing energy expenditure and/or reducing the need for compensatory motions more so than a crutch used vertically in the frontal plane. A three-dimensional dynamic model is used to test the hypothesis. The model predicts that excessive pelvis depression and decreased pelvic rotation result when the hip abductors are paralyzed. Compensatory motions, hip hiking and torso tilting, and crutch use are shown to decrease the prevalence of pathological kinematics. Crutch use with a wide stance angle improves gait kinematics more than a vertical crutch with the same body weight supported on it. This study provides evidence that the need for compensatory motions and the prevalence of pathological gait kinematics may be reduced when using a wide crutch stance angle compared to a vertical crutch stance angle.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Agboola-Dobson ◽  
Guowu Wei ◽  
Lei Ren

Recent advancements in powered lower limb prostheses have appeased several difficulties faced by lower limb amputees by using a series-elastic actuator (SEA) to provide powered sagittal plane flexion. Unfortunately, these devices are currently unable to provide both powered sagittal plane flexion and two degrees of freedom (2-DOF) at the ankle, removing the ankle’s capacity to invert/evert, thus severely limiting terrain adaption capabilities and user comfort. The developed 2-DOF ankle system in this paper allows both powered flexion in the sagittal plane and passive rotation in the frontal plane; an SEA emulates the biomechanics of the gastrocnemius and Achilles tendon for flexion while a novel universal-joint system provides the 2-DOF. Several studies were undertaken to thoroughly characterize the capabilities of the device. Under both level- and sloped-ground conditions, ankle torque and kinematic data were obtained by using force-plates and a motion capture system. The device was found to be fully capable of providing powered sagittal plane motion and torque very close to that of a biological ankle while simultaneously being able to adapt to sloped terrain by undergoing frontal plane motion, thus providing 2-DOF at the ankle. These findings demonstrate that the device presented in this paper poses radical improvements to powered prosthetic ankle-foot device (PAFD) design.


1993 ◽  
Vol 182 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Wortmann ◽  
W. Zarnack

1. We simultaneously recorded lift/body weight, flight speed, body angle and 12 variables of wing movement for locusts performing tethered long-term flight with low movement scatter. The movements of the forewings and hindwings were recorded in three dimensions by means of miniature induction coils. 2. By adjusting the body angle, we could reproducibly manipulate lift generation as a consequence of induced changes in the wings' movement patterns. We were therefore able to analyse various relationships between the movement patterns and lift. 3. The most prominent variations of kinematic variables were observed for the forewing movements. The relative lift and the steady angle of pitch were positively correlated but there was a negative correlation between relative lift and pitching amplitude. We found no correlation between relative lift and flapping amplitude. Our results seem to correspond to a new theory about unsteady aerodynamics of oscillating aerofoils. 4. We sometimes observed variations in lagging. 5. The forewing downstroke was delayed by 0–8 ms following the hindwing downstroke. Relative lift was positively correlated to this delay.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document