Neuromechanics

Effects of Parallel Ankle Stiffness on Gait Biomechanics

Normal aging, bone and joint pathology, or treatments such as orthoses or joint fusion can fundamentally alter the stiffness of the human ankle. However, it is still not well understood how parallel ankle stiffness affects core aspects of gait biomechanics such as kinematic symmetry, joint mechanical work, and muscle activation, so we aimed to understand the impact of isolated changes to ankle stiffness on gait in individuals without lower-limb pathology. To do this, we had people walk on a treadmill (level, inclined, and declined) with an adjustable stiffness ankle exoskeleton under different conditions of spring stiffness and spring neutral angle.

• Project Lead: Rachel Gehlhar Humann (alumna)
• Project Team: Michael Rose, Will Flanagan, Laila Harris, Alyssa Tomkinson, Prof. Alexandra Voloshina