Research on Biomedical Engineering
http://www.rbejournal.periodikos.com.br/article/doi/10.1590/2446-4740.03517
Research on Biomedical Engineering
Original Article

Effects of backpack loads and positions on the variability of gait spatiotemporal parameters in young adults

Georgia Cristina Lehnen; Rina Marcia Magnani; Gustavo Souto de Sá e Souza; Fábio Barbosa Rodrigues; Adriano de Oliveira Andrade; Marcus Fraga Vieira

http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/2446-4740.03517 Res. Biomed. Eng., vol.33, n4, p.277-284, 2017
PDF
Downloads: 1
Views: 997

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: People carry backpacks of different weight in different positions every day. The effects of backpack wearing under different loads and positions were assessed according to the gait’s spatiotemporal parameters and their variability in young adults.

Methods: Twenty-one subjects performed trials of 4 min in the conditions: control condition with no backpack; bilateral back load consisting of 10% body weight (BW); bilateral back load of 20% BW (B20); unilateral load of 10% BW; unilateral load with 20% BW (U20); bilateral frontal load with 10% BW; bilateral frontal load with 20% BW.

Results: Step length (SL) and step frequency (SF) show that frontal conditions differed from others as seen in B20. Gait cycle phases showed an increase in the B20 condition for double stance phase and stance phase, swing phase presented reduction in the B20 condition. There were significant main effects in position for SL, SF, and walk ratio, in load only for stride width. The highest variability of spatiotemporal parameters occurred in the U20 condition. All load conditions with 20% BW showed a greater variability when compared to the 10% BW counterpart.

Conclusion: We concluded that young adults can cope with up to a 15% BW load under a bilateral back position, but in the frontal position not even a 10% BW load was proven to be a safe limit. 20% BW loads should be avoided in any position. These recommendations may assure increased gait stability, decreased trunk forward lean and decreased muscle activation and fatigue reducing back pain occurrence.

Keywords

Human gait, Stance phase, Swing phase, Walk ratio, Stride width, Gait variability

References

Abaraogu UO, Ugwa WO, Onwuka E, Orji E. Effect of single and double backpack strap loading on gait and perceived exertion of young adults. Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation. 2016; 29(1):109-15. PMid:26406186. http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/BMR-150605.

Al-Khabbaz YSSM, Shimada T, Hasegawa M. The effect of backpack heaviness on trunk-lower extremity muscle activities and trunk posture. Gait & Posture. 2008; 28(2):297-302. PMid:18329270. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2008.01.002.

Attwells RL, Birrell SA, Hooper RH, Mansfield NJ. Influence of carrying heavy loads on soldiers’ posture, movements and gait. Ergonomics. 2006; 49(14):1527-37. PMid:17050392. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00140130600757237.

Avantika R, Agarwal S, Bharti S. Postural effect of back packs on school children: its consequences on their body posture. International Journal of Health Sciences and Research. 2013; 3:109-16.

Berceanu C, Marghitu DB, Gudavalli MR, Raju PK, Vikas Y. Gait analysis parameters of healthy human subjects with asymmetric loads. Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering. 2016; 19(8):855-63. PMid:26274771. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10255842.2015.1075008.

Birrell SA, Haslam RA. The effect of military load carriage on 3-D lower limb kinematics and spatiotemporal parameters. Ergonomics. 2009; 52(10):1298-304. PMid:19787507. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00140130903003115.

Brackley HM, Stevenson JM, Selinger JC. Effect of backpack load placement on posture and spinal curvature in prepubescent children. Work. 2009; 32(3):351-60. PMid:19369727.

Chow DHK, Kwok MLY, Au-Yang ACK, Holmes AD, Cheng JCY, Yao FYD, Wong MS. The effect of backpack load on the gait of normal adolescent girls. Ergonomics. 2005; 48(6):642-56. PMid:16087499. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00140130500070921.

Dames KD, Smith JD. Effects of load carriage and footwear on spatiotemporal parameters, kinematics, and metabolic cost of walking. Gait & Posture. 2015; 42(2):122-6. PMid:25985924. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2015.04.017.

Devroey C, Jonkers I, Becker A, Lenaerts G, Spaepen A. Evaluation of the effect of backpack load and position during standing and walking using biomechanical, physiological and subjective measures. Ergonomics. 2007; 50(5):728-42. PMid:17454090. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00140130701194850.

Fellin RE, Seay JF, Gregorczyk KN, Hasselquist L. Spatiotemporal parameters are not substantially influenced by load carriage or inclination during treadmill and overground walking. Journal of Human Kinetics. 2016; 50(1):27-35. https://doi.org/10.1515/hukin-2015-0138.

Hebenstreit F, Leibold A, Krinner S, Welsch G, Lochmann M, Eskofier BM. Effect of walking speed on gait sub phase durations. Human Movement Science. 2015; 43:118-24. PMid:26256534. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.humov.2015.07.009.

Heuscher Z, Gilkey DP, Peel JL, Kennedy CA. The association of self-reported backpack use and backpack weight with low back pain among college students. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 2010; 33(6):432-7. PMid:20732580. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmpt.2010.06.003.

Hong Y, Brueggemann GP. Changes in gait patterns in 10-year-old boys with increasing loads when walking on a treadmill. Gait & Posture. 2000; 11(3):254-9. PMid:10802438. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0966-6362(00)00055-2.

Hong Y, Li JX, Fong DTP. Effect of prolonged walking with backpack loads on trunk muscle activity and fatigue in children. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology. 2008; 18(6):990-6. PMid:17720538. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jelekin.2007.06.013.

Kang HG, Dingwell JB. Separating the effects of age and walking speed on gait variability. Gait & Posture. 2008; 27(4):572-7. PMid:17768055. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2007.07.009.

Kinoshita H. Effects of different loads and carrying systems on selected biomechanical parameters describing walking gait. Ergonomics. 1985; 28(9):1347-62. PMid:4065090. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00140138508963251.

Kluger D, Major MJ, Fatone S, Gard SA. The effect of trunk flexion on lower-limb kinetics of able-bodied gait. Human Movement Science. 2014; 33:395-403. PMid:24423389. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.humov.2013.12.006.

Knapik JJ, Reynolds KL, Harman E. Soldier load carriage: historical, physiological, biomechanical, and medical aspects. Military Medicine. 2004; 169(1):45-56. PMid:14964502. http://dx.doi.org/10.7205/MILMED.169.1.45.

LaFiandra M, Wagenaar RC, Holt KG, Obusek JP. How do load carriage and walking speed influence trunk coordination and stride parameters? Journal of Biomechanics. 2003; 36(1):87-95. PMid:12485642. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0021-9290(02)00243-9.

Majumdar D, Pal MS, Majumdar D. Effects of military load carriage on kinematics of gait. Ergonomics. 2010; 53(6):782-91. PMid:20496244. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00140131003672015.

McGraw B, McClenaghan BA, Williams HG, Dickerson J, Ward DS. Gait and postural stability in obese and nonobese prepubertal boys. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2000; 81(4):484-9. PMid:10768540. http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/mr.2000.3782.

Pau M, Corona F, Leban B, Pau M. Effects of backpack carriage on foot-ground relationship in children during upright stance. Gait & Posture. 2011; 33(2):195-9. PMid:21112213. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2010.10.096.

Qu X, Yeo JC. Effects of load carriage and fatigue on gait characteristics. Journal of Biomechanics. 2011; 44(7):1259-63. PMid:21397234. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2011.02.016.

Sheir-Neiss GI, Kruse RW, Rahman T, Jacobson LP, Pelli JA. The association of backpack use and back pain in adolescents. Spine. 2003; 28(9):922-30. PMid:12942009. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.BRS.0000058725.18067.F7.

Singh T, Koh M. Effects of backpack load position on spatiotemporal parameters and trunk forward lean. Gait & Posture. 2009; 29(1):49-53. PMid:18667319. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2008.06.006.

Springer S, Gottlieb U, Lozin M. Spatiotemporal gait parameters as predictors of lower-limb overuse injuries in military training. The Scientific World Journal. 2016; 2016(2016):5939164. PMid:27478864. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/5939164.

Terrier P, Reynard F. Effect of age on the variability and stability of gait: a cross-sectional treadmill study in healthy individuals between 20 and 69 years of age. Gait & Posture. 2015; 41(1):170-4. PMid:25455699. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2014.09.024.

Van Emmerik REA, Ducharme SW, Amado AC, Hamill J. Comparing dynamical systems concepts and techniques for biomechanical analysis. Journal of Sport and Health Science 2016; 5(1): 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2016.01.013

Walicka-Cupryś K, Skalska-Izdebska R, Rachwał M, Truszczyńska A. Influence of the weight of a school backpack on spinal curvature in the sagittal plane of seven-year-old children. BioMed Research International. 2015; 2015:817913. PMid:26413545. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/817913.

Wang Y, Pascoe DD, Weimar W. Evaluation of book backpack load during walking. Ergonomics. 2001; 44(9):858-69. PMid:11560366. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00140130118572.

Yoo B. The effect of carrying a military backpack on a transverse slope and sand surface on lower limb during gait [dissertation]. Salt Lake City, UT, USA: The University of Utah; 2014.

Zeni JA Jr, Richards JG, Higginson JS. Two simple methods for determining gait events during treadmill and overground walking using kinematic data. Gait & Posture. 2008; 27(4):710-4. PMid:17723303. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2007.07.007.
 

59ef47f50e8825621391e317 rbejournal Articles
Links & Downloads
2446-4740 (Electronic) 2446-4732 (Printed)
Res. Biomed. Eng. ©2024 All rights reserved.

Res. Biomed. Eng.

Share this page
Page Sections