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Updated: Jul 5, 2025
Influence of Step-Width Manipulation on Running Biomechanics
Published on: February 28, 2025
Differences between lower extremity joint running kinetics captured by marker-based and markerless systems were speed
Hui Tang1, Barry Munkasy2, Li Li2
1Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30458, USA; Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
Background:
The development of computer vision technology has enabled the use of markerless movement tracking for biomechanical analysis. Recent research has reported the feasibility of markerless systems in motion analysis but has yet to fully explore their utility for capturing faster movements, such as running. Applied studies using markerless systems in clinical and sports settings are still lacking. Thus, the present study compared running biomechanics estimated by marker-based and markerless systems. Given running speed not only affects sports performance but is also associated with clinical injury prevention, diagnosis, and rehabilitation, we aimed to investigate the effects of speed on the comparison of estimated lower extremity joint moments and powers between markerless and marker-based technologies during treadmill running as a concurrent validating study.
Methods:
Kinematic data from marker-based/markerless technologies were collected, along with ground reaction force data, from 16 young adults running on an instrumented treadmill at 3 speeds: 2.24 m/s, 2.91 m/s, and 3.58 m/s (5.0 miles/h, 6.5 miles/h, and 8.0 miles/h). Sagittal plane moments and powers of the hip, knee, and ankle were calculated by inverse dynamic methods. Time series analysis and statistical parametric mapping were used to determine system differences.
Results:
Compared to the marker-based system, the markerless system estimated increased lower extremity joint kinetics with faster speed during the swing phase in most cases.
Conclusion:
Despite the promising application of markerless technology in clinical settings, systematic markerless overestimation requires focused attention. Based on segment pose estimations, the centers of mass estimated by markerless technologies were farther away from the relevant distal joint centers, which led to greater joint moments and powers estimates by markerless vs. marker-based systems. The differences were amplified by running speed.
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