The interaction between leading and trailing limbs during stopping in humans

Gait termination: a review of experimental methods and the effects of ageing and gait pathologies

“…As in Hase and Stein's data [12] impulses were greater for an earlier stimulus, approximately 20% body weight per second at heel strike, 10% at peak loading and 8% at midstance [18]. Bishop and colleagues also measured speed effects on stopping, showing that with faster walking there was less reliance on the trail foot and more on the lead foot and, as indicated above, an attenuated or absent propulsive peak for the lead limb [23].…”

“…Jian et al [15] also pointed out that during rapid stopping the production of stance and swing limb stabilizing forces, already greater than during steady state walking, is further accentuated. One overarching concept for understanding the foot-ground kinetics of termination therefore, is that coordinated activity of both legs is required to arrest forward motion while maintaining stability [23].…”

Gait termination in lower limb amputees

“…Another limitation was that only outcome variables in the last step were assessed. Although most deceleration occurs in this step [7,22,23], other studies have shown important adjustments in the trailing limb in the step prior to termination, namely a decrease in push-off GRF [5,8,9,11]. Finally, due to technical limitations the data of leading limb preference, temporal variables and joint angles were collected in different runs than the GRF and COP data.…”

“…In able-bodied persons the leading limb, which is the limb that stands still first, is mainly responsible for the production of the necessary braking ground reaction force (GRF). Compared to normal walking the braking GRF is increased in the final stance phase [6][7][8]. A large burst of soleus muscle activity and reduced activation in the tibialis anterior muscle of the leading limb bring the foot flat to the ground [5,7,9,10].…”

“…Compared to normal walking the braking GRF is increased in the final stance phase [6][7][8]. A large burst of soleus muscle activity and reduced activation in the tibialis anterior muscle of the leading limb bring the foot flat to the ground [5,7,9,10]. The vasti and gluteus medius muscles are activated, respectively, to extend the knee and to prevent the trunk from bending forward.…”