Development of a Regression Model for the Treadmill Ground Reaction Force Components.
A number of studies were conducted to investigate the overground and treadmill walking. Belli, et al. validated a newly designed treadmill ergometer which measures vertical and horizontal GRFs during walking. Li and Hamill, examined the vertical force component when approaching the gait transition point. Also, Dierick, et al.3 developed an instrumented treadmill from a commercially available treadmill with 3D strain gauge force transducers. Lake and Robinson, compared walking kinematics in two shoe conditions in overground and treadmill walking. Riley, et al.5 showed that measures of GRF using instrumented treadmills are adequate for inverse dynamics analysis.
The use of treadmills has always been popular in physical rehabilitation centers, and it is becoming increasingly more common in gait laboratories. Such laboratories are typically equipped with floor embedded force platform(s) allowing the analysis of only one or two consecutive steps.
Treadmills allow for the collection of multiple consecutive steps in a small space, and the ability to study walking patterns over a prolonged period of time. Collecting forces exerted during locomotion allows for kinetic analyses during treadmill ambulation. However, acquiring instrumented treadmills with a built in force plate(s) may not be financially feasible for many general purpose biomechanics laboratories; additionally many instrumented treadmills only measure the vertical component of GRF. The second objective of the study was to develop a set
of regression equations for a subject walking on a non-instrumented treadmill based on the subject’s gait parameters while walking on floor embedded force plates.
Sport Exerc Med Open J. 2015; 1(2): 35-41. doi: 10.17140/SEMOJ-1-106
