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Effect of wider step-width gait on hip joint contact force
Lizheng Jiang1, Yoshitaka Iwamoto2, Shun Ezumi3
1Department of Biomechanics, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 kasumi, Hiroshima 734-8551, Japan; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Beichen Hospital of Nankai University, 7 Beiyi Road, Tianjin 300400, China.
Journal of Biomechanics
|May 9, 2025
Summary
Wider step-width (SW) significantly reduces hip joint contact force (HJCF) and hip adduction moment (HAM) peaks and impulses, particularly at doubled and tripled widths. This gait modification strategy helps mitigate hip joint overload.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Orthopedics
- Human Movement Science
Background:
- Hip joint contact force (HJCF) overloading is a primary cause of hip osteoarthritis.
- Hip adduction moment (HAM) is a surrogate for estimating HJCF.
- Wider step-width (SW) may reduce HAM, but its direct effect on HJCF is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the direct effect of increasing step-width (SW) on hip joint contact force (HJCF) in healthy adults.
- To evaluate how gait modifications influence hip adduction moment (HAM) and related muscle activities.
Main Methods:
- Neuromusculoskeletal simulation using Opensim.
- 3D motion capture and surface electromyography.
- Analysis of HJCF, HAM, and muscle activity across normal, double, and triple SW conditions.
Main Results:
- Doubling and tripling SW significantly reduced the second peaks and impulses of HJCF and HAM.
- Triple SW decreased the first HAM peak but increased gluteus medius and rectus femoris activity.
- Significant correlations were found between HJCF and HAM peaks across conditions.
Conclusions:
- Increasing SW markedly improves dynamic HJCF, with gluteus medius activity and HAM changes explaining this effect.
- Wider SW is a viable strategy for mitigating hip joint overload and potentially preventing osteoarthritis.
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