Quantifying lumbar–pelvis coordination during gait using a modified vector coding technique

Needham, Robert; Naemi, Roozbeh; Chockalingam, Nachiappan

Abstract

The complexity of human gait patterns has become a topic of major interest in motor control and biomechanics. Range of motion is still the preferred method to quantify movement impairment, however, within these traditional linear measures, the inter-segmental coordination and movement variability is normally ignored. A dynamical systems approach using vector coding and circular statistics provides non-linear techniques to quantify coordination and variability. This study provides comprehensive vector coding and circular statistics calculations. Additionally, pelvis–lumbar coordination and coordination variability data obtained from ten healthy young male participants during five walking trials using an optoelectronic system is provided. This novel data can form the baseline information for future studies in this area of research. Finally, a new illustration to present coordination and coordination variability information of gait kinematics, combining the output from the modified vector coding technique with traditional time-series segmental angle data is presented. This technique, when applied to single patients can be beneficial to assess the effect of an intervention on the patient-specific inter-segmental coordination pattern with implications to the clinical setting.

Citation

Needham, R., Naemi, R., & Chockalingam, N. (2014). Quantifying lumbar–pelvis coordination during gait using a modified vector coding technique. Journal of Biomechanics, 47(5), 1020-1026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2013.12.032

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 30, 2013
• Online Publication Date: Jan 18, 2014
• Publication Date: Mar 21, 2014
• Deposit Date: Apr 14, 2024
• Journal: Journal of Biomechanics
• Print ISSN: 0021-9290
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 47
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 1020-1026
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2013.12.032