Lower limb angular velocity during walking at various speeds.

BACKGROUND

Although it is well established that lower limb joint angles adapt to walking at various speeds, limited research has examined the modifications in joint angular velocity. There is currently no normative dataset for joint angular velocity during walking, which would be useful to allow comparisons for patient cohorts. Additionally, understanding normal joint angular velocity may assist clinical assessment and treatment procedures to incorporate methods that replicate the movement speed of the lower limb joints during walking.

RESEARCH QUESTION

This study aimed to examine lower limb joint angles and angular velocities in a healthy population walking at various gait speeds.

METHODS

Thirty-six healthy adult participants underwent three-dimensional gait analysis while walking at various speeds during habitual and slowed walking. The peak joint angles and angular velocities during important phases of the gait cycle were examined for the hip, knee and ankle in the sagittal plane. Data were grouped in 0.2 m/s increments from a walking speed of 0.4 m/s to 1.6 m/s to represent the range of walking speeds reported in studies of people with gait impairments.

RESULTS

For joint angles and angular velocities, the shape of the gait traces were consistent regardless of the walking speed. However as walking speed increased, so did the peak joint angles and angular velocities for the hip, knee and ankle. The largest angular velocity occurred when the knee joint extended at the terminal swing phase of gait. For the ankle and hip joints, the largest angular velocity occurred during the push-off phase.

SIGNIFICANCE

This study examined how lower limb joint angular velocities change with various walking speeds. These data can be used as a comparator for data from clinical cohorts, and has the potential to be used to match clinical assessment and treatment methods to joint angular velocity during walking.