Gait Control in Young Adults Trained on a Low Friction Floor

The objective of this study was to show how gait was controlled on low friction surfaces in young subjects after they had had sufficient practice of walking under such conditions. Twenty healthy adults were examined using a force plate and a motion analysis system. Slip distance, gait speed and step length showed no significant difference between the normal and low friction floors. The peak of required coefficient of friction (RCOFpeak) on the low friction floor was significantly smaller than that on the normal friction floor (p<0.01), as was the distance between the forward-backward position of the center of mass (COMy) and that of the center of pressure (COPy) during the landing phase. The RCOFpeak showed a significant correlation with the distance from the COMy to the COPy. The peak moment of hip joint extension during the early landing phase on the low friction floor was significantly larger than that on the normal friction floor (p<0.01). These findings suggest that, on a low friction surface, the COMy during the landing phase is closer to the landing foot, and that this transition of COM reduces the RCOFpeak. It also suggests that this larger moment of hip joint extension on a low friction surface may assist in shifting COM ahead just after heel strike.

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