Milan Gandhi
Research Mentor: Chandramouli Krishnan
Mentor Department: Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Medicine
Author(s): Kazandra Rodriguez, Chandramouli Krishnan, Cyrus Schoneman, Milan Gandhi
Session: Session 7 (4:00 PM – 4:50 PM)
Presentation Type: Poster 126
Abstract
Human gait is a coordinated biomechanical process, where there is a sequence of cyclic events, namely stance and swing. Here, the role of joint kinematics is important, especially at the hip, knee, and ankle, in order to have efficient gait. This project explores how walking speed affects muscle activation patterns, especially in stroke survivors, using EMG’s, retro-reflective markers, force plates, and 2D motion capture, where treadmill and walking trials are conducted. With an increase in gait velocity, the time required for the stance period decreases. This requires the joints to move faster and in a coordinated manner. Hip flexion, knee flexion/extension, and dorsiflexion/plantarflexion of the ankle joint are seen to reflect the impact of impaired gait on the propulsion of the body, and this is mainly contributed by the ankle joint by approximately 85%. Stroke patients have impaired dorsiflexion of the foot, also known as foot drop. Muscle activation timing with varying speeds and modes of walking is also an area of interest for this study. By comparing normal and pathological gait patterns, the study hopes to gain more insight into the effects of neuromuscular deficits and the use of speed modulation as a rehabilitation tool.
