Kinematic analyses of semireclined leg cycling in able-bodied and spinal cord injured individuals

Abstract

Study design: Retrospective descriptive study. Objectives: To evaluate the leg kinematics and motion characteristics within able-bodied (AB) and spinal cord injured (SCI) individuals during stationary semireclined cycling. Setting: Functional Performance Laboratory, Connecticut, USA. Methods: Three SCI and three AB subjects participated in steady-state leg pedaling (50 revolutions per minute). The SCI group participated in electrical stimulation (FES)-induced cycling at resistances of 0, 6.25, and 12.5 Watts (W). The AB group cycled on the same ergometer without FES at resistances of 0, 60, and 120 W. Motion capture analysis recorded joint angular position, velocity, and acceleration at hip, knee, and ankle. Joint kinematics of hip, knee, and ankle were measured during steady-state leg cycling and comparisons were made between AB and SCI subjects as resistance proportionally and relatively increased. Results: Intrasubject hip and knee movement patterns showed minimal variability across resistance levels. Comparisons between AB and SCI subjects showed that the hip and knee kinematics were very similar at all resistance levels. However, ankle movement patterns appeared to increase in variability (increased dorsiflexion) with increased resistance level in AB subjects and less so with SCI subjects. Overall, the ankle kinematics for AB and SCI subjects were dissimilar at resistance levels greater than zero. Conclusions: The joint kinematics of the hip, knee, and ankle were found to be periodic, but the differences in ankle kinematics in AB and SCI subjects suggest more emphasise should be placed on the current design of the bike-pedal and subject-specific seat configurations.Spinal Cord (2005) 43, 543-549.

Lower-extremity joint kinematics and muscle activations during semi-reclined cycling at different workloads in healthy individuals

“…They evaluated the timing and patterns of EMG activities of healthy individuals during semi-reclined cycling at different workloads. They further compared their findings to muscle activity patterns of upright cycling as well as commercially available FES-induced cycling systems and reported major differences in the timing and duration of lower limb muscle activities [2, 28]. These finding could have major implications on the efficacy of the commercially available FES-induced cycling systems.…”

“…These finding could have major implications on the efficacy of the commercially available FES-induced cycling systems. The FES activations of paralyzed muscles in these systems are based on the muscle activations during upright cycling, which may lead to cycling inefficiency reported in previous research [2, 28]. …”

Biomechanics of recumbent cycling in adolescents with cerebral palsy with and without the use of a fixed shank guide

“…The strap was elastic and permitted some motion, but some participants pulled away from the guide more than others. It was also difficult to maintain larger legs in an optimal position; therefore a more proximal guide may be needed [30].…”

Metrological characterization of a cycle-ergometer to optimize the cycling induced by functional electrical stimulation on patients with stroke

“…In particular, cycling could be applied at an early stage after stroke also on patients with reduced locomotion and cognitive function. The cycling movement induced by the stimulation of the major muscles of the lower limbs is now becoming a spread application [7][8][9]. In the following this artificial movement will be named functional electrical stimulation (FES) cycling.…”