Asymmetric mobility deficits at the ankle and knee compromises balance control
Presenter Type
UNO Graduate Student (Doctoral)
Major/Field of Study
Biomechanics
Advisor Information
Mukul Mukherjee
Location
MBSC302 - G (Doctoral)
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
24-3-2023 1:00 PM
End Date
24-3-2023 2:15 PM
Abstract
Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability in the United States including sensory deficits, weaker muscles, and reduced lower limb mobility. These deficits lead to gait and balance impairments including slower walking speed, reduced balance control in standing or walking, and asymmetrical bilateral coordination. Many stroke survivors show reduced ankle and knee mobility due to spasticity, weakness, or reduced muscle tone. This leads them to show compensatory movements like hip hiking and circumductory gait to achieve foot clearance and leg swing. However, this creates asymmetrical lateral shifts, such as a more significant margin of stability in the less affected leg compared to the more affected leg thereby compromising mediolateral (ML) balance control. Previous studies showed that stroke survivors become more unstable when the balance is perturbed by ML cable pulling or treadmill translations during walking. Our central hypothesis is that hip movements for compensating reduced mobility at the ankle and knee asymmetrically during walking compromise ML balance control. Our objective is to prove the hypothesis by testing it first in a healthy model and then in a stroke sample. We ask the following: Could induced ankle and knee immobilization asymmetrically in healthy young participants cause poor mediolateral balance control during lateral treadmill translation perturbations? Is there a relationship between compensatory hip movements due to asymmetric mobility deficits after stroke and poor balance control during walking? Answering these questions could provide new insights into current stroke rehabilitation for dynamic balance control and complement the treatment methods for stroke survivors in the future.
Scheduling
9:15-10:30 a.m., 10:45 a.m.-Noon, 1-2:15 p.m.
Asymmetric mobility deficits at the ankle and knee compromises balance control
MBSC302 - G (Doctoral)
Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability in the United States including sensory deficits, weaker muscles, and reduced lower limb mobility. These deficits lead to gait and balance impairments including slower walking speed, reduced balance control in standing or walking, and asymmetrical bilateral coordination. Many stroke survivors show reduced ankle and knee mobility due to spasticity, weakness, or reduced muscle tone. This leads them to show compensatory movements like hip hiking and circumductory gait to achieve foot clearance and leg swing. However, this creates asymmetrical lateral shifts, such as a more significant margin of stability in the less affected leg compared to the more affected leg thereby compromising mediolateral (ML) balance control. Previous studies showed that stroke survivors become more unstable when the balance is perturbed by ML cable pulling or treadmill translations during walking. Our central hypothesis is that hip movements for compensating reduced mobility at the ankle and knee asymmetrically during walking compromise ML balance control. Our objective is to prove the hypothesis by testing it first in a healthy model and then in a stroke sample. We ask the following: Could induced ankle and knee immobilization asymmetrically in healthy young participants cause poor mediolateral balance control during lateral treadmill translation perturbations? Is there a relationship between compensatory hip movements due to asymmetric mobility deficits after stroke and poor balance control during walking? Answering these questions could provide new insights into current stroke rehabilitation for dynamic balance control and complement the treatment methods for stroke survivors in the future.