Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Muscles that Move the Leg01:23

Muscles that Move the Leg

The movement of the legs is facilitated by numerous muscles located within the anterior, medial, and posterior compartments of the thigh.
Anterior Compartment
The quadriceps femoris, the most visible muscle of the anterior compartment, is integral for leg extension and thigh flexion. It is formed by merging four distinct muscles — the vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, and rectus femoris. The quadriceps tendon, a shared tendon of the four quadriceps muscles, is affixed to...
Muscles of the Leg that Move the Foot and Toes01:28

Muscles of the Leg that Move the Foot and Toes

The human leg comprises an intricate system of muscles that facilitate the movement of feet and toes. Within this system, the muscles are categorized into the anterior, lateral, and posterior compartments, each with a unique set of muscles carrying out specific functions.
Anterior Compartment
The anterior compartment includes muscles that contribute to the dorsiflexion of the foot. This compartment houses the tibialis anterior, extensor hallucis longus, and extensor digitorum longus muscles.
Indeterminate Structure01:18

Indeterminate Structure

Indeterminate structures refer to structures where internal forces and reactions cannot be determined using only the equations of static equilibrium.  Indeterminate structures have more unknown forces and reaction forces than equations of static equilibrium that can be used to determine them. Indeterminate structures are often used in engineering to create complex, efficient, and aesthetically pleasing structures. There are various types of indeterminate structures used in engineering and some...
Assessing Blood pressure in the Leg01:11

Assessing Blood pressure in the Leg

Proper measurement of leg blood pressure is a critical skill for healthcare providers, ensuring precise and reliable readings. When performed correctly, this procedure informs patient care and enhances the efficacy of interventions. The following text outlines step-by-step guidelines to measure blood pressure in the leg, providing clarity and ease of understanding for practitioners.
Preparation:
Muscle Stimulation Frequency01:22

Muscle Stimulation Frequency

The contraction strength of muscles is regulated by motor neurons, which modulate the frequency of action potentials dispatched to the motor units based on the body's requirements. This process of varying the muscle stimulation frequency allows muscles to contract with a force that is precisely tailored to the needs of the moment, whether lifting a feather or a heavy box.
Wave summation
At low firing rates, motor neurons induce individual twitch contractions in muscle fibers. These twitches...
Bones of the Lower Limb: Femur and Patella01:16

Bones of the Lower Limb: Femur and Patella

The femur is the body's longest and strongest bone spanning the thigh region. Its head articulates with the acetabulum of the hip bone to form the hip joint. A minor indentation on the medial side of the femoral head, called the fovea capitis, serves as the site of attachment for the ligament of the head of the femur. This weak ligament spans the femur and acetabulum and supports the hip joint. The narrowed region below the head is the neck of the femur. The inclination angle between the neck...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Adaptive Biarticular Exosuit Assistance for Faster and More Efficient Walking.

IEEE transactions on neural systems and rehabilitation engineering : a publication of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society·2026
Same author

Concerted control framework for human-exoskeleton co-adaptation using ground reaction forces.

Wearable technologies·2026
Same author

Unified three-dimensional bipedal locomotion control via ground reaction force-based joint compliance modulation.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·2026
Same author

User preference-based human-in-the-loop tuning of exoskeleton assistance during walking.

npj biomedical innovations·2026
Same author

Simulating Muscle-Level Energetic Cost When Humans Walk With a Passive Biarticular Thigh Exosuit.

IEEE transactions on neural systems and rehabilitation engineering : a publication of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society·2026
Same author

Recruitment of mechanics and motor control in human hopping, discovered by stance phase ground-level downward perturbations.

Bioinspiration & biomimetics·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Comparative Analysis of Lower Limb Kinematics between the Initial and Terminal Phase of 5km Treadmill Running
08:26

Comparative Analysis of Lower Limb Kinematics between the Initial and Terminal Phase of 5km Treadmill Running

Published on: July 17, 2020

Effective leg stiffness in running.

Yvonne Blum1, Susanne W Lipfert, Andre Seyfarth

  • 1Lauflabor Locomotion Laboratory, University of Jena, Dornburger Strasse 23, D-07743 Jena, Germany. Yvonne.Blum@uni-jena.de

Journal of Biomechanics
|August 4, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Method E offers the simplest and most accurate way to measure leg stiffness during running using temporal parameters. This method is superior to others that rely on ground reaction forces, especially at slower speeds.

More Related Videos

Using Gold-standard Gait Analysis Methods to Assess Experience Effects on Lower-limb Mechanics During Moderate High-heeled Jogging and Running
06:35

Using Gold-standard Gait Analysis Methods to Assess Experience Effects on Lower-limb Mechanics During Moderate High-heeled Jogging and Running

Published on: September 14, 2017

Influence of Step-Width Manipulation on Running Biomechanics
06:53

Influence of Step-Width Manipulation on Running Biomechanics

Published on: February 28, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Comparative Analysis of Lower Limb Kinematics between the Initial and Terminal Phase of 5km Treadmill Running
08:26

Comparative Analysis of Lower Limb Kinematics between the Initial and Terminal Phase of 5km Treadmill Running

Published on: July 17, 2020

Using Gold-standard Gait Analysis Methods to Assess Experience Effects on Lower-limb Mechanics During Moderate High-heeled Jogging and Running
06:35

Using Gold-standard Gait Analysis Methods to Assess Experience Effects on Lower-limb Mechanics During Moderate High-heeled Jogging and Running

Published on: September 14, 2017

Influence of Step-Width Manipulation on Running Biomechanics
06:53

Influence of Step-Width Manipulation on Running Biomechanics

Published on: February 28, 2025

Area of Science:

  • Biomechanics
  • Locomotion Analysis
  • Human Movement Science

Background:

  • Leg stiffness is crucial for understanding running and hopping mechanics.
  • Estimating leg stiffness involves defining leg compression during ground contact.
  • Various methods exist, often relying on ground reaction forces (GRF) or kinematic data.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare five different experimental methods for approximating leg stiffness.
  • To evaluate these methods against predictions from the spring-mass model of locomotion.
  • To identify the most accurate and practical method for measuring leg stiffness.

Main Methods:

  • Four methods (A-D) utilized ground reaction forces (GRF).
  • One method (E) used temporal parameters like contact and flight times.
  • Calculated leg stiffness was compared to spring-mass model predictions for running.

Main Results:

  • Method E, using temporal parameters, provided the best and simplest approximation of leg stiffness.
  • Method D showed similar accuracy to Method E but required additional GRF data.
  • Methods A-C overestimated or underestimated leg stiffness, particularly at lower speeds.

Conclusions:

  • Method E is recommended for its accuracy and ease of use in approximating leg stiffness.
  • The choice of method impacts the interpretation of leg stiffness in locomotion models.
  • Accurate leg stiffness measurement is vital for validating biomechanical models of legged movement.