• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.53-57
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• 2017

PURPOSE: The purpose of study was to clear up the environmental risk factor that can be easily occurred unstability of hip during gait and one leg standing at various ramp angle. METHODS: Twenties healthy males of 69 subjects is participated in this study. Participants was measured activation on gluteus medius muscle during both conditions (walk across the ramp and one leg stand in the transverse direction) of seven different angle. The measured data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA to investigate the effect of muscle activation on the each condition. The statistical analyses were performed using SPSS ver. 18.0 and p-value less than .05 were considered significant for all cases. A post-hoc test was performed by Bonferoni method. RESULTS: The study showed that more muscle activities on gluteus medius is increased by increasing the ramp angle. Post-hoc analysis demonstrated that the peak and mean of muscle activity increased significantly with a ramp angle of $15^{\circ}$ and $25^{\circ}$ during gait and one-leg stand. CONCLUSION: According to the study results, impaired balance can be easily occurred when cross walk and one-leg stand on a ramp from higher than $15^{\circ}$, and highest risk was angle of $25^{\circ}$ or more. As a people with gluteus medius muscle weakness walks a ramp, the ramp angle has a cross relationship with the impaired balance. If people with gluteus medius weakness walk on the more than $10^{\circ}$ of ramp angle, they will need a lot of attention for prevent impaired balance.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.253-257
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• 2017

Purpose: This study was conducted to predict the risks that arise while standing on mediolateral ramps at various ramp angles by identifying the ratio of medial to lateral gastrocnemius muscle activities. Methods: The subjects were 20 healthy adult men. Seven mediolateral ramp angles ($0^{\circ}$, $2^{\circ}$, $5^{\circ}$, $10^{\circ}$, $15^{\circ}$, $20^{\circ}$, and $25^{\circ}$) were applied for the experiment. The ratio of medial to lateral gastrocnemius muscle activities in each condition was measured using electromyography, and the measured data were converted to root mean square values to calculate the activity ratios. Results: The study results showed statistically significant differences in the ratio of mediolateral gastrocnemius muscle activities according to the selected mediolateral ramp angles. The results of a post hoc test confirmed that the multifidus muscles were asymmetrically used on the two sides at mediolateral ramp angles of $5^{\circ}$ or higher. Conclusion: This study found that an asymmetric use of the multifidus muscles began at a mediolateral ramp angle of $5^{\circ}$, and the provision of propulsion using the ankle joints on mediolateral ramps at $5^{\circ}$ or steeper was maneuvered differently from that on flat ground. This suggests that individuals with balance control disorder have the risk of falling due to ankle sprains and unstable balance control. Therefore, patients and elderly people are required to exercise caution when crossing $5^{\circ}$ or steeper ramps.