INTRODUCTION

We video taped our subject using a high 8 video camera. The camera was perpendicular to the subjects plane of movement. Extra lighting was placed diagonal to the subject and the camera. The frame rate of the camera was thirty frames per second. The subject was instructed to walk forward on the inclined treadmill at a pace of .894 meters per second as regulated by the treadmill. Several different trials were taped to make sure that we captured both movements accurately. We selected the trials in which all of the joint markers were clearly seen throughout the cycle.

The videotaped images were digitized at thirty frames using FusionRecorder on Macintosh computers in the New Media Center at the University of Michigan. The digital video files were trimmed using MoviePlayer so that the data files contained only the frames between the start and end of the movements. A custom utility (QT->PICT) was used to convert the Quicktime movie files into a series of individual frame files in PICT format for use with the Motion Plus software. The frontpack/backpack, the left glenohumeral joint, the left greater trochanter, the left lateral epicondyle, and the left lateral malleolus joints were digitized using Motion Capture. Joint marker coordinate data were exported in spreadsheet format to Excel for biomechanical analysis using MotionAnalysis.