Gait Analysis and the Effects of Spinal Rotation on Impact Forces

Prior clinical studies have investigated the mechanics of spinal rotation, distribution of impact stress along the foot, and their specific contributions to injuries while a person is walking or running. This project designed and constructed two devices: one which dynamically measured the distribution of impact stresses along the foot and one which measured the degree of spinal rotation. These devices were attached to test subjects who then went through a regimen of varied speeds on a treadmill. Data was collected through a data acquisition program and then analyzed. It was concluded that when test subjects were forced to exaggerate their upper torso movement during the human gait cycle, force distribution was barely affected and no statistically significant conclusions could be drawn