An integrated biomechanical-bioenergetic technique for evaluation of human locomotion

The existing locomotion evaluation techniques are based either on bioenergetic measurements or on biomechanical principles and procedures. While the former basis has been preferred by a few, published literature in this field has contained more information on the latter. No significant work combining both the approaches in a single measurement system is known so far. This paper reports an investigation where an attempt was made to combine both the techniques in relation to a mixed handicapped population composed of 10 test subjects as well as a matching control group. It has been found from the present investigation that the combined application of the above two types of measurements might lead to more useful information about the performance level of the subjects in locomotion. Further, the statistical analysis of the experimental data revealed the existance of a linear correlationship among the parameters used for such performance evaluation. Finally, the study findings have been discussed to indicate how the biomechanical measurements alone can throw sufficient light on the subject's locomotor status.