Biomechanics, Physical Performance and Exercise Research Group, Department of Health, Medicine and Human Sciences, Macquarie University's Biomechanics, Sydney, NSW 2113, Australia.
Neuromuscular Research Laboratory/Warrior Performance Center, Department of Sports Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
Sensors (Basel). 2024 Mar 5;24(5):1675. doi: 10.3390/s24051675.
The ability to estimate lower-extremity mechanics in real-world scenarios may untether biomechanics research from a laboratory environment. This is particularly important for military populations where outdoor ruck marches over variable terrain and the addition of external load are cited as leading causes of musculoskeletal injury As such, this study aimed to examine (1) the validity of a minimal IMU sensor system for quantifying lower-extremity kinematics during treadmill walking and running compared with optical motion capture (OMC) and (2) the sensitivity of this IMU system to kinematic changes induced by load, grade, or a combination of the two. The IMU system was able to estimate hip and knee range of motion (ROM) with moderate accuracy during walking but not running. However, SPM analyses revealed IMU and OMC kinematic waveforms were significantly different at most gait phases. The IMU system was capable of detecting kinematic differences in knee kinematic waveforms that occur with added load but was not sensitive to changes in grade that influence lower-extremity kinematics when measured with OMC. While IMUs may be able to identify hip and knee ROM during gait, they are not suitable for replicating lab-level kinematic waveforms.
在现实场景中估计下肢力学的能力可能使生物力学研究摆脱实验室环境的束缚。对于军事人群来说，这一点尤为重要，因为在户外背负行军、在不同地形上行走以及增加外部负荷都被认为是导致肌肉骨骼损伤的主要原因。因此，本研究旨在检验：(1) 最小惯性测量单元 (IMU) 传感器系统在跑步机行走和跑步时定量测量下肢运动学的有效性，与光学运动捕捉 (OMC) 相比；(2) 该 IMU 系统对由负荷、坡度或两者结合引起的运动学变化的敏感性。在行走时，IMU 系统能够以中等精度估计髋关节和膝关节的运动范围 (ROM)，但在跑步时不行。然而，SPM 分析显示，在大多数步态阶段，IMU 和 OMC 的运动学波形有显著差异。IMU 系统能够检测到添加负荷时膝关节运动学波形的运动学差异，但对 OMC 测量时影响下肢运动学的坡度变化不敏感。虽然 IMU 可能能够在步态中识别髋关节和膝关节的 ROM，但它们不适合复制实验室级别的运动学波形。
