| Type of Document |
Master's Thesis |
| Author |
Whitley, Michael James
|
| Author's Email Address |
mwhitley@vt.edu |
| URN |
etd-06232008-162913 |
| Title |
Maximum Absolute and Relative Joint Torques during Recovery from a Simulated Trip |
| Degree |
Master of Science |
| Department |
Biomedical Engineering and Sciences |
| Advisory Committee |
| Advisor Name |
Title |
| Madigan, Michael L. |
Committee Chair |
| Davy, Kevin P. |
Committee Member |
| Nussbaum, Maury A. |
Committee Member |
|
| Keywords |
- trip
- obese
- joint torques
- fall
|
| Date of Defense |
2008-06-20 |
| Availability |
unrestricted |
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that obesity negatively affects balance during quiet standing, yet little is known about its effect on the ability to recover after a postural perturbation. The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the effects of obesity on single-step balance recovery from an incipient forward fall. Eight obese (BMI = 33.2 ± 2.4) and eight non-obese (BMI = 24.8 ± 1.8) participants were released from a static forward lean and asked to recover their balance with a single step. Lean angle was progressively increased until they could no longer recover balance with a single step. Peak joint torques and relative effort during balance recovery were calculated and compared across the groups. Obese participants achieved a smaller maximum lean angle compared to non-obese participants. During balance recovery, obese participants exhibited higher ankle plantar flexor torques and relative effort. Trends also suggested higher relative hip extensor effort in the obese. Obese adults exhibited a poorer ability to recover from a forward fall with a single step. In addition, obese adults used a higher percentage of their total hip and ankle strength compared to non-obese adults during balance recovery. This suggests that the poorer ability of recovering from a forward fall in the obese may be related to increased exertion levels during balance recovery.
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| Files |
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Size |
Approximate Download Time
(Hours:Minutes:Seconds)
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56K Modem |
ISDN (64 Kb) |
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MJWhitley_Thesis_Resubmit.pdf |
498.14 Kb |
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