INTRODUCTION

Every winter we slip and fall on the ice. During a recent snow storm, we noticed students experiencing difficulties walking around campus because of the ice. We were curious to see why short, choppy steps were more prevalent on ice compared to the normal stride on dry pavement. In addition to having a hard time getting to class on time, many people incurred injuries due to falling on the ice. It has been found that back injuries are the most common due to slipping and falling on ice, followed by fractures, mostly to the ankle (Smith and Nelson, 1998). One particular study found that impact loading was greatest on the foot and ankle when walking on solid ground (Miyazaki, 1998).

We plan on analyzing the difference in gait on ice and dry surfaces. We examined the difference in walking speed, stride length, thigh angle and trunk position. These findings could help everyday people understand biomechanically the effect that the differences in walking style on ice and dry land have on their body.