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Updated: May 17, 2026

Postural Organization of Gait Initiation for Biomechanical Analysis Using Force Platform Recordings
Published on: July 26, 2022
[Evaluation of gait initiation in low risk pregnant women in the three trimesters]
Sara Rosa de Sousa Andrade1, Fernanda Grazielle da Silva Azevedo Nora, Ivan Silveira de Avelar
1Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Goiás-UFG, Goiânia, GO, Brasil.
Purposes:
To describe the process of gait initiation of pregnant women and to compare the behavior of the pressure center in the three trimesters of pregnancy.
Methods:
Fifty-seven low-risk pregnant women were evaluated, aged 18 to 35 years, selected for convenience location during the three trimesters of pregnancy. The women were divided into three groups of 19 subjects each, according to gestational age - 1st quarter (4-12 weeks), 2nd quarter (13-28 weeks), and 3rd quarter (29-42 weeks,). Each patient was positioned standing up with one foot on each AMTI force platform until she heard a beep indicating that she should start walking a distance of four meter. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software. The Kolmogorov Smirnov test, Tukey's test and Spearman correlation coefficient were used for group comparisons, with 5% significance level in all tests.
Results:
Significant differences were found between the 1st quarter (GFT) and 3rd quarter (GTT) groups regarding mediolateral oscillation amplitude (GFT: 0.4 cm and GTT: 0.2 cm) and mediolateral displacement rate (GFT: 0.9 cm/s and GTT: 0.4 cm/s). There was a gradual decrease in anteroposterior and mediolateral oscillation rate, and in the speed of displacement from platform 1 to platform 2 in GFT. There was a significant difference in oscillation amplitude and mediolateral displacement speed between GFT and GTT.
Conclusion:
The variables analyzed showed minor differences and do not constitute an imminent risk for the stability dynamics of pregnant woman.

