• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.297-302
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• 2013

Purpose: This study was conducted in order to investigate the kinematic gait parameter of lower extremities with different gait conditions (level walking, stair, ramp) in hemiplegic patients. Methods: Ten hemiplegic patients participated in this study and kinematic data were measured using a 3D motion analysis system (LUKOtronic AS202, Lutz-kovacs-Electronics, Innsbruk, Austria). Statistical analysis was performed using one-way repeated measure of ANOVA in order to determine the difference of lower extremity angle at each gait phase with different gait conditions. Results: Affected degree of ankle joint in the heel strike phase showed significant difference between level walking and climbing stairs, and toe off phase showed significant difference between level walking and climbing stairs, ramps, and climbing stairs. Affected degree of knee joint showed no significant difference in all attempts. Affected degree of hip joint in the toe off phase showed significant difference between level walking, ramps and stairs, and climbing ramps. Swing phase showed significant difference between sides for level walking and stairs, climbing ramps. Affected ankle joint of heel strike and toe off, and affected hip joint of toe off and the maximum angle of swing phase in the angle was increased. Unaffected side of the ankle joint, knee joint, and hip joint showed a significant increase in walking phase. Conclusion: These findings indicate that compared with level walking, different results were obtained for joint angle of lower extremity when climbing stairs and ramps. In hemiplegia patient's climbing ramps, stairs, more movement was observed not only for the non-affected side but also the ankle joint of the affected side and hip joint. According to these findings of hemiplegic patients when climbing stairs or ramps, more joint motion was observed not only on the unaffected side but also on the affected side compared with flat walking.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.59-65
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate the shift of COP pathway and the plantar foot pressure among level walking and stairs and ramp climbing in young and elderly people. Plantar foot pressure was measured by MatScan system(Tekscan, USA). Statistical analysis was used One-way ANOVA to know the characteristics of peak plantar pressure during walking with different the facilities. In young adults, COP pathway during stairs climbing was slightly shorten and trended to abduct at forefoot. COP pathway during ramp climbing was also shorten but trend to adduct at forefoot. Peak plantar pressure of 2-3 metatarsal head and heel during ramp climbing was more decreased than level walking. In elderly people, COP pathway during stairs climbing was more shorten and abducted than leve walking and COP pathway during ramp climbing was more unstable than level walking. Peak plantar pressure of first metatarsal head increased at stair climbing and decreased at ramp climbing. That of second metatarsal head and heel was more decreased at ramp climbing. Conclusionally, Peak plantar pressures of each foot region generally increased and more changed during ramp climbing.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.35-40
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate change of muscle activities during level walking, stairs and ramp climbing in old adults. Methods: Twelve old adults were recruited and agreed this study. Muscle activity was measured by MP150 system (BIOPAC System Inc., Santa Barbara, USA). Statistical analysis was used one-way ANOVA to know the difference according to gait conditions (level walking, stairs and ramp ascending) Results: In stance phase, muscle activities of low extremities with old adults were generally significant difference in ramp ascending. In swing phase, rectus femoris and biceps femoris activity in old adults generally more increased during stairs ascending and tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius activity in old adults generally increased during ramp ascending. Conclusion: These results indicate that stair and ramp climbing is different muscle recruit pattern to level walking.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.247-252
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the change of muscle activities during level walking, stairs and ramp climbing in hemiplegic patients. Methods: Eight hemiplegic patients were recruited and agreed to participate in this study. Muscle activity was measured by MP100 system (BIOPAC System Inc., Santa Barbara, CA, USA). Statistical analysis was used as a one-way repeated measure of ANOVA to know the difference according to the gait conditions (level walking, stairs and ramp ascending). Results: In the swing phase, muscle activity of rectus femoris muscle, with the side lower extremities affected, were generally significantly different in the stair and ramp ascending. In addition, biceps femoris muscle with unaffected side lower extremity was generally significantly different in the ramp ascending. In the swing phase, muscle activity of tibialis anterior muscle with unaffected side lower extremities was generally showed a significant difference in the ramp ascending. In the stance phase, climbing stairs and ramps showed an increase in the muscle activities. Further, climbing the stairs increased muscle activities of the gastrocnemius muscle. Conclusion: These findings indicate that compared with the level walking climbing stairs, ramps and muscle activities of lower extremity during each showed different results. It can be seen that in accordance with the terms of gait are different muscles group recruitment.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.478-487
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• 2022

Objective: This study was conducted to analyze the effect of wearable complex muscle support system on energy efficiency during walking in elderly. Design: Cross sectional study Methods: Twenty healthy elderly participated in this study. All subjects performed a 6 minuteswalk test(6MWT) and stair climbing test in dual, slack and no suit conditions. In each condition, oxygen consumption(VO₂), metabolic equivalents(METs), energy expenditure measures(EEm), physiological cost index(PCI), walking velocity and heartrate were measured. Through repeated measured ANOVA, it was investigated whether there was a statistically significant difference in the measurement results between the three conditions. Results: In over-ground walking, VO₂, METs and EEm showed significant differences between no suit and slack conditions(p<0.05). In stair climbing, VO₂ showed significant difference between slack and dual conditions(p<0.05). Also, METs and EEm showed significant differences between no suit and slack, and between slack and dual conditions(p<0.05). Conclusions: Wearing the wearable complex muscle support system for elderly does not have much benefit in energy metabolism efficiency in over-ground, but there is a benefit in stair walking.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.89-99
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• 2013

The purposes of this study were: 1) to show the item difficulty hierarchy of walking/moving construct of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health-Activity Measure (ICF-AM), 2) to evaluate the item-level psychometrics for model fit, 3) to describe the relevant physical activity defined by level of activity intensity expressed as Metabolic Equivalent of Tasks (MET), and 4) to explore what extent the empirical activity hierarchy of the ICF-AM is linked to the conceptual model based on the level of energy expenditure described as MET. One hundred and eight participants with lower extremity impairments were examined for the present study. A newly created activity measure, the ICF-AM using an item response theory (IRT) model and computer adaptive testing (CAT) method, has a construct on walking/moving construct. Based on the ICF category of walking and moving, the instrument comprised items corresponding to: walking short distances, walking long distances, walking on different surfaces, walking around objects, climbing, and running. The item difficulty hierarchy was created using Winstep software for 20 items. The Rasch analyses (1-parameter IRT model) were performed on participants with lower extremity injuries who completed the paper and pencil version of walking/moving construct of the ICF-AM. The classification of physical activity can also be performed by the use of METs that is often preferred to determine the level of physical activity. The empirical item hierarchy of walking, climbing, running activities of the ICF-AM instrument was similar to the conceptual activity hierarchy based on the METs. The empirically derived item difficulty hierarchy of the ICF-AM may be useful in developing MET-based activity measure questionnaires. In addition to convenience of applying items to questionnaires, implications of the finding could lead to the use of CAT method without sacrificing the objectivity of physiologic measures.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.159-166
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• 2019

Recently, the advanced development of smart devices has increased the interest in health-care, and many people are paying more attentions to disease prevention than disease treatment. Among these prevention methods, the bare body movement has received much attention, and especially walking exercise is attracting much attention because it is enjoyable without any restrictions on place and time. Walking exercise is generally divided into two types: walking on the ground and climbing the stairs. Walking up the stairs consumes much more calories compared to walking on the ground. These walking exercises have the advantage that they can be easily performed by male and female without special equipments or economic considerations. However, there is a lack of applications and systems that accurately determine such walking and stair walking and measure momentum according to stair walking. In this paper, we designed and implemented a real-time walking status analysis system using smartwatch's, pedometer, smartphone's barometer and beacons.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.435-448
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to investigate the kinemaitc gait parameter of lower extremities with different gait conditions(level walking, stairs, ramp) in old adults. Fourteen healthy older adults participated in this study and kinematic data were measured using 3D motion analysis system(Vicon, Oxford Metrics, England). Statistical analysis was used one-way ANOVA to know the difference of lower extremities angle at each gait phase with a different gait conditions. In sagittal plane, pelvic anterior tilt increased in stairs and ramp climbing and hip and knee flexion increased in stairs climbing but ankle dorsiflexion increased in ramp climbing. In frontal plane, pelvic was up in stairs and hip abduction and adduction more changed in stairs climbing than level walking. Knee varus and ankle inversion increased in stair climbing. In horizontal plane, pelvic internal rotation increased in stairs and ramp climbing and knee internal rotation increased in stairs climbing but ankle external rotation increased in stairs climbing. This results was shown that the stairs and ramp climbing changed the kinematic gait parameters of lower extremities in healthy old adults.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.67-74
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of walking aid on hemiplegic gait of chronic stroke patients. Twelve stroke patients participated in this study. Physiological cost index (PCI), gait speed, and climbing stairs with and without walking aid were measured and analyzed. The results showed that walking with walking aid significantly improved gait speed and reduced physiological cost index and time needed to climb stair (height 7 cm) in comparison with a walking without walking aid. In conclusion, walking aid may improve the speed and efficiency of hemiplegic gait in chronic stroke patients.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.15-22
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• 2012

The mechanical system of wearable walking assist robot needs to be optimized for adapting with human body structure and the planned control algorithm should have a secure procedure when a incongruity situation which can cause musculoskeletal injury occurs because a wearable robot is attached to a body. The understanding of walking or musculoskeletal motions characteristics must be preceeded and analyzed for developing novel wearable walking assist robot. In this study we tried to find out the capacities of powers and torques of joint actuators to design optimized performances of system and to obtain the analysis data to figure out the characteristics of joint movements during some types of walk. The major types of walk and motion are stair climbing and descending, sit-to-stand motion, and slope walking. In this study all these motions were analyzed experimentally except slope walking.