Lower-Limb Joint Coordination Pattern in Obese Subjects

• Published in: BioMed research international Vol. 2013; no. 2013; pp. 1 - 9
• Main Authors: Draicchio, Francesco, Pinto, Alessandro, Cava, Edda, Iavicoli, Sergio, Silvetti, Alessio, Serrao, Mariano, Mari, Silvia, Donini, Lorenzo Maria, Ranavolo, Alberto, Asprino, Rosa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cairo, Egypt Hindawi Publishing Corporation 01.01.2013; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; Hindawi Limited
• Subjects: Accidental Falls; Adult; Analysis; Biomechanical Phenomena; Central nervous system; Complications and side effects; Female; Food science; Gait; Gender differences; Hip joint; Humans; Joint diseases; Joints; Joints - pathology; Joints - physiopathology; Male; Middle Aged; Mortality; Nutrition research; Obesity; Obesity - complications; Obesity - pathology; Obesity - physiopathology; Physiological aspects; Postural Balance; Rehabilitation; Risk Factors; Studies; System theory; Walking; Weight control; Italy
• ISSN: 2314-6133; 2314-6141
• DOI: 10.1155/2013/142323

The coordinative pattern is an important feature of locomotion that has been studied in a number of pathologies. It has been observed that adaptive changes in coordination patterns are due to both external and internal constraints. Obesity is characterized by the presence of excess mass at pelvis and lower-limb areas, causing mechanical constraints that central nervous system could manage modifying the physiological interjoint coupling relationships. Since an altered coordination pattern may induce joint diseases and falls risk, the aim of this study was to analyze whether and how coordination during walking is affected by obesity. We evaluated interjoint coordination during walking in 25 obese subjects as well as in a control group. The time-distance parameters and joint kinematics were also measured. When compared with the control group, obese people displayed a substantial similarity in joint kinematic parameters and some differences in the time-distance and in the coupling parameters. Obese subjects revealed higher values in stride-to-stride intrasubjects variability in interjoint coupling parameters, whereas the coordinative mean pattern was unaltered. The increased variability in the coupling parameters is associated with an increased risk of falls and thus should be taken into account when designing treatments aimed at restoring a normal locomotion pattern.