Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 5, 2026
07:44
Evaluation of Patients' Posture and Gait Profile After Lumbar Fusion Surgery by Video Rasterstereography and Treadmill Gait Analysis
Published on: March 23, 2019
19.0K
Differences in trunk control between early and late pregnancy during gait
Ryuichi Sawa1, Takehiko Doi2, Tsuyoshi Asai3
1Department of Community Health Sciences, Kobe University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hyogo, Japan.
Gait & Posture
|August 12, 2015
Summary
Pregnancy affects trunk function during walking. Women in their third trimester showed reduced trunk functional ability, specifically in the anteroposterior direction, compared to earlier pregnancy stages.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Human Movement Science
- Obstetrics
Background:
- Gait and trunk function are crucial for mobility.
- Pregnancy significantly alters a woman's body, potentially impacting biomechanics.
- Understanding these changes is vital for maternal health and well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare gait characteristics and trunk functional ability between pregnant women before and during the third trimester.
- To investigate changes in trunk movement patterns during gait in late pregnancy.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 27 pregnant women, categorized by gestational week (≥28 weeks vs. <28 weeks).
- Gait analysis included stride-time variability, root mean square (RMS), autocorrelation, and coefficient of attenuation (CoA) of acceleration.
- Statistical analysis employed Mann-Whitney U test and multiple regression to adjust for covariates.
Main Results:
- Women in the third trimester exhibited significantly lower RMS in the anteroposterior trunk direction.
- Coefficient of attenuation (CoA) in the anteroposterior direction was also significantly reduced in late pregnancy.
- These differences persisted after adjusting for age, height, weight, and gait velocity.
Conclusions:
- Late pregnancy is associated with a decline in trunk functional ability during gait.
- The findings suggest altered trunk biomechanics in the third trimester of pregnancy.
- Further research can explore interventions to support trunk function during pregnancy.
