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- Biomechanics of Gait during Pregnancy: a reviewPublication . Branco, Marco A. C.; Santos-Rocha, Rita; Vieira, Maria FilomenaDuring pregnancy women experience several changes in the body’s physiology, morphology, and hormonal system. These changes may affect the balance and body stability and can cause discomfort and pain. The adaptations of the musculoskeletal system due to morphological changes during pregnancy are not fully understood. Few studies clarify the biomechanical changes of gait that occur during pregnancy and in postpartum period.Purposes. The purpose of this review was to analyze the available evidence on the biomechanical adaptations of gait that occur throughout pregnancy and in postpartum period, specifically with regard to the temporal, spatial, kinematic, and kinetic parameters of gait.Methods. Three databases were searched and 9 studies with a follow-up design were retrieved for analysis.Results. Most studies performed temporal, spatial, and kinematic analysis. Only three studies performed kinetic analysis.Conclusion. The adaptation strategies to the anatomical and physiological changes throughout pregnancy are still unclear, particularly in a longitudinal perspective and regarding kinetic parameters.
- Comparison between overweight due to pregnancy and due to added weight to simulate body mass distribution in pregnancyPublication . Aguiar, Liliana; Santos-Rocha, Rita; Vieira, Maria Filomena; Branco, Marco A. C.; Andrade, Carlos; Veloso, AntónioThe assessment of biomechanical loading in the musculoskeletal system of the pregnant women is particularly interesting since they are subject to morphological, physiological and hormonal changes, which may lead to adaptations in gait. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of the increased mass in the trunk associated to pregnancy on the lower limb and pelvis, during walking, on temporal-distance parameters, joint range of motion and moments of force, by comparing a pregnant women group to a non-pregnant group, and to this group while carrying a 5 kg additional load located in the abdomen and breasts during walking, to understand which gait adaptations may be more related with the increased trunk mass, or if may be more associated with other factors such as the girth of the thigh. The subjects performed a previous 12 min training adaption to the added load. To calculate ankle, knee and hip joint angles and moments of force, a three-dimensional biomechanical model was developed. The inverse dynamics method was used to estimate net joint moments of force. The increased mass of the anterior trunk associated with second trimester of pregnancy may influence some gait variables such as the left step time, left and right stance times, double limb support time, maximum hip extension, maximum pelvic right obliquity, pelvic obliquity range of motion, maximum transversal left rotation and peak hip flexion moments of force.