Lower limb joint forces during walking on the level and slopes at different inclinations

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Human Movement Science
• Orthopedics

Background:

• Sloped walking increases lower extremity joint loading compared to level walking.
• Understanding joint forces during inclines is crucial for injury prevention and rehabilitation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze lower limb joint compression and tibiofemoral joint shear forces during walking at various slopes.
• To compare joint loading during uphill and downhill walking.

Main Methods:

• Eighteen healthy males walked on a ramp at slopes ranging from -18° to 18° at 1.1 m/s.
• Kinematic data were captured using a 12-camera motion system; kinetic data from force plates.
• A musculoskeletal model (AnyBody) computed lower limb joint forces.

Main Results:

• Downhill walking significantly increased hip, tibiofemoral, and patellofemoral compression forces.
• Uphill walking significantly increased all lower limb joint compression forces with increasing inclination.
• Ankle compression forces decreased significantly during downhill walking.

Conclusions:

• Sloped walking significantly impacts lower limb joint loading, with distinct patterns for uphill and downhill inclines.
• The study did not find evidence that downhill walking increases anterior tibiofemoral shear forces, challenging previous notions of anterior cruciate ligament stress.
• Joint force analysis provides deeper insights into structural loading during sloped walking than joint moment analysis.