Segment angle. The shank segmented motion, of walking on a level and inclined treadmill, was similar. The maximum clockwise angle of walking on a level treadmill was 40 degrees as opposed to walking on an inclined treadmill, which had an angle of 50 degrees. The maximum counterclockwise angle of walking on a level treadmill was &endash;20 degrees and the maximum angle of walking on an inclined treadmill was 0 degrees. The range of motion for walking on a level treadmill was 60 degrees as compared to walking on an inclined treadmill with the range of motion of 50 degrees between movements.
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Figure 3. Shank segment angle while walking on a level treadmill (left) and walking on an inclined treadmill (right). The shank segment is calculated from the vertical axis about the knee joint. Anatomical position corresponds to zero degrees. Increasing values represent clockwise rotation. | |
Joint angle 1. The knee joint angle of walking on a level treadmill was larger than the knee joint angle of walking on an inclined treadmill. The maximum flexion angle of the knee in the level treadmill was 124 degrees as opposed to 118 degrees of the inclined treadmill; the maximum extension angle of the level treadmill was 182 degrees and 176 degrees of the inclined treadmill. The range of motion of the knee joint of the level treadmill was 58 degrees, which was the same as the inclined treadmill.
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Figure 4. Knee angle while walking on a level treadmill (left) and on an inclined treadmill (right). Knee angle was calculated as the angle between the thigh and the shank. Anatomical position corresponds to zero degrees. Increasing values represent extension. | |
Joint angle 2. There was a larger hip joint angle range in walking on an inclined treadmill as opposed to walking on a level treadmill. The maximum flexion angle of the hip for the level treadmill was 169 degrees as compared to inclined treadmill, which was 167 degrees, the maximum extension angle for level treadmill was 201 degrees as compared to inclined treadmill, which was 217 degrees. The range of motion of the hip for the level treadmill was 39 degrees as opposed to inclined treadmill, which was 50 degrees.
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Figure 5. Hip joint angle while walking on a level treadmill (left) and walking on an inclined treadmill (right). Hip joint angle was calculated as the angle between the trunk and the thigh. Anatomical position corresponds to 180 degrees. Increasing values represent extension. | |
Joint velocity. The angular velocities of the knee joint between walking on a level treadmill and walking on an inclined treadmill were different as shown by movement 2 having a larger negative component. The maximum flexion for the level treadmill was &endash;332 degrees/sec as compared to the inclined treadmill was &endash;606 degrees/sec. Maximum extension velocity of the knee of the level treadmill was 305 degrees/sec and inclined treadmill was 227 degrees/sec between movements.
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Figure 6. Knee joint angular velocity while walking on a level treadmill (left) and walking on an inclined treadmill (right). Positive values represent extension. | |
Angle-Angle Plot. The angles of the two movements are coordinated in different ways. Walking on a level treadmill is less coupled than walking on an inclined treadmill as shown by the diagonal line in walking on an inclined treadmill as opposed to the parallel diagonal lines in walking on a level treadmill showing a decoupled relationship. In walking on a level treadmill the hip basically remained in a constant position while the knee was extending.
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Figure 7. Coordination of knee angle and hip angle while walking on a level treadmill (left) and while walking on an inclined treadmill (right). | |
