Skeletal transients on heel strike in normal walking with different footwear

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Abstract

Simultaneous measurements during normal walking of the transient acceleration on heel strike in the tibia and skull show peaks of ∼ 5 g and 0.5 g respectively when hard heels were worn. Resilient heels halved the amplitudes, while rebound could be avoided by a construction including a viscoelastic polymer insert. The transient is propagated as travelling waves up (and outwards from) the skeleton, its inconspicuous appearance in force plate studies being due to the non-uniform and non-synchronous acceleration of various parts of the body.

Implications of these findings are noted, including the potential contribution of heel strike transients to osteoarthritic degeneration. Aggravation of symptoms in sufferers from back troubles may well be due to shear induced by them in para-osteal tissue. Possible physiological roles for the transients, which may account for their existence, are also mentioned.

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