Cerebrovascular dysfunction is associated with aging and the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Optical coherence elastography (OCE) is an emerging technique for measuring the stiffness of arteries nondestructively with high spatial resolution. In this study, we employed wave-based OCE to measure the shear modulus of human anterior cerebral arteries (ACA). Surface elastic waves were excited on ACA across a wide frequency range (2 to 100 kHz), at intra-vessel pressures ranging from 20 to 140 mmHg. Lamb wave theory was applied to analyze the propagation speeds of dispersive elastic waves guided along the arterial walls and determine shear modulus. The measured shear modulus increases linearly with pressure, reflecting the hyper-elastic properties of arterial walls. The data were compared with stiffness values derived from conventional biaxial extension-inflation mechanical testing. The shear modulus determined from high frequency OCE measurements are much higher when compared to those from the quasi-static mechanical tests. Nevertheless, both measurements demonstrated a consistent trend of cerebral artery stiffening with aging.
{"title":"Nondestructive measurement of anterior cerebral artery stiffness using optical coherence elastography","authors":"Mykyta Ananchenko , Xu Feng , Samuel Halvorsen , Seok-Hyun Yun , Yanhang Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jbiomech.2026.113147","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbiomech.2026.113147","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cerebrovascular dysfunction is associated with aging and the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Optical coherence elastography (OCE) is an emerging technique for measuring the stiffness of arteries nondestructively with high spatial resolution. In this study, we employed wave-based OCE to measure the shear modulus of human anterior cerebral arteries (ACA). Surface elastic waves were excited on ACA across a wide frequency range (2 to 100 kHz), at intra-vessel pressures ranging from 20 to 140 mmHg. Lamb wave theory was applied to analyze the propagation speeds of dispersive elastic waves guided along the arterial walls and determine shear modulus. The measured shear modulus increases linearly with pressure, reflecting the hyper-elastic properties of arterial walls. The data were compared with stiffness values derived from conventional biaxial extension-inflation mechanical testing. The shear modulus determined from high frequency OCE measurements are much higher when compared to those from the quasi-static mechanical tests. Nevertheless, both measurements demonstrated a consistent trend of cerebral artery stiffening with aging.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15168,"journal":{"name":"Journal of biomechanics","volume":"196 ","pages":"Article 113147"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145966171","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-06DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2026.113149
Metin Bicer , Andrew TM Phillips , Oğuz Faik Seven , Matthew Banger , Alison H McGregor , Luca Modenese
A single inertial measurement unit (IMU) can be used with neural networks (NNs) to predict joint kinematics and kinetics. Recent studies, however, often employed virtual IMU data computed from marker-based systems to train NN models, without providing realistic performance assessments on real IMU data. To address this, we present a methodology for developing and blindly evaluating NNs predicting lower-limb joint angles and moments from a sacrum-worn IMU.
NN architectures were trained on IMU data simulated from a public marker-based dataset (49 healthy adults), augmented using conditional generative adversarial networks to enhance variability. The developed NNs were blindly tested against a different dataset (seven healthy adults) of real IMU and synchronous marker-based data collected ad hoc after the NN development. The two datasets were collected in different labs using different protocols. These NNs were subsequently fine-tuned (retrained) with this dataset and re-evaluated on another real IMU data (three healthy adults) collected after fine-tuning.
The NNs achieved strong predictive performance on virtual IMU data (average root mean squared error (RMSE) of 2.6±1.3° and 0.10±0.05 Nm/kg for joint angles and moments, respectively). However, performance degraded when applied to real IMU data: average RMSE of 4.5±2.0° for joint angles and 0.21±0.14 Nm/kg for moments. Fine-tuning with real IMU data improved model accuracy, recovering RMSEs to 2.6±0.8° and 0.19±0.11 Nm/kg for joint angles and moments, respectively.
Overall, our performance metrics were within the reported ranges for systems employing multiple IMU sensors. This work highlights the importance of blinded assessment and fine-tuning for practical biomechanical applications.
{"title":"Predicting human gait kinematics and kinetics from a single inertial measurement unit using deep learning and synthetic datasets: A blinded assessment study","authors":"Metin Bicer , Andrew TM Phillips , Oğuz Faik Seven , Matthew Banger , Alison H McGregor , Luca Modenese","doi":"10.1016/j.jbiomech.2026.113149","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbiomech.2026.113149","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A single inertial measurement unit (IMU) can be used with neural networks (NNs) to predict joint kinematics and kinetics. Recent studies, however, often employed virtual IMU data computed from marker-based systems to train NN models, without providing realistic performance assessments on real IMU data. To address this, we present a methodology for developing and blindly evaluating NNs predicting lower-limb joint angles and moments from a sacrum-worn IMU.</div><div>NN architectures were trained on IMU data simulated from a public marker-based dataset (49 healthy adults), augmented using conditional generative adversarial networks to enhance variability. The developed NNs were blindly tested against a different dataset (seven healthy adults) of real IMU and synchronous marker-based data collected <em>ad hoc</em> after the NN development. The two datasets were collected in different labs using different protocols. These NNs were subsequently fine-tuned (retrained) with this dataset and re-evaluated on another real IMU data (three healthy adults) collected after fine-tuning.</div><div>The NNs achieved strong predictive performance on virtual IMU data (average root mean squared error (RMSE) of 2.6±1.3° and 0.10±0.05 Nm/kg for joint angles and moments, respectively). However, performance degraded when applied to real IMU data: average RMSE of 4.5±2.0° for joint angles and 0.21±0.14 Nm/kg for moments. Fine-tuning with real IMU data improved model accuracy, recovering RMSEs to 2.6±0.8° and 0.19±0.11 Nm/kg for joint angles and moments, respectively.</div><div>Overall, our performance metrics were within the reported ranges for systems employing multiple IMU sensors. This work highlights the importance of blinded assessment and fine-tuning for practical biomechanical applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15168,"journal":{"name":"Journal of biomechanics","volume":"198 ","pages":"Article 113149"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146172167","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2025.113146
Tsuyoshi Nagatani , Shayne Vial , Kristina L. Kendall , Paul Comfort , G.Gregory Haff
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between vertical barbell acceleration patterns and power clean performance. Thirty strength-power athletes performed a one repetition maximum (1RM) power clean test, recording vertical barbell acceleration data from their heaviest successful lifts. This data was then analysed using functional principal component (fPC) analysis methods. Three vertical barbell acceleration patterns were extracted, with each primarily reflecting variations in the magnitude of vertical barbell acceleration during the second pull (fPC1), the transition (fPC2), and the first pull (fPC3). Additionally, two fPCs were extracted from displacement fields, which explain timing variations in barbell acceleration data, with the first fPC capturing timing variations during the first pull and the second fPC capturing timing variations during the transition. There were no significant or meaningful correlations between any of these patterns and power clean performance, suggesting that the amplitude and timing variations of vertical barbell acceleration patterns may not be the key biomechanical factor impacting power clean performance. Therefore, vertical barbell acceleration profiles should not be interpreted as a direct indicator of power clean technique, as these patterns may simply reflect acceptable individual variation, rather than representing technical proficiency or inefficiency. These findings may highlight that isolated measures of barbell kinematics should be considered informative, yet insufficient for assessing weightlifting technique, without additional variables reflecting the kinetics and kinematics of the lifter considered.
{"title":"Functional data analysis of vertical barbell acceleration during the pull of the power clean","authors":"Tsuyoshi Nagatani , Shayne Vial , Kristina L. Kendall , Paul Comfort , G.Gregory Haff","doi":"10.1016/j.jbiomech.2025.113146","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbiomech.2025.113146","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between vertical barbell acceleration patterns and power clean performance. Thirty strength-power athletes performed a one repetition maximum (1RM) power clean test, recording vertical barbell acceleration data from their heaviest successful lifts. This data was then analysed using functional principal component (fPC) analysis methods. Three vertical barbell acceleration patterns were extracted, with each primarily reflecting variations in the magnitude of vertical barbell acceleration during the second pull (fPC1), the transition (fPC2), and the first pull (fPC3). Additionally, two fPCs were extracted from displacement fields, which explain timing variations in barbell acceleration data, with the first fPC capturing timing variations during the first pull and the second fPC capturing timing variations during the transition. There were no significant or meaningful correlations between any of these patterns and power clean performance, suggesting that the amplitude and timing variations of vertical barbell acceleration patterns may not be the key biomechanical factor impacting power clean performance. Therefore, vertical barbell acceleration profiles should not be interpreted as a direct indicator of power clean technique, as these patterns may simply reflect acceptable individual variation, rather than representing technical proficiency or inefficiency. These findings may highlight that isolated measures of barbell kinematics should be considered informative, yet insufficient for assessing weightlifting technique, without additional variables reflecting the kinetics and kinematics of the lifter considered.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15168,"journal":{"name":"Journal of biomechanics","volume":"195 ","pages":"Article 113146"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145879993","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2025.113140
Justyna Michalska, Żaneta Szuplak, Kajetan J. Słomka, Grzegorz Juras
Assessing ballroom dancers as a pair rather than as isolated subjects provides a deeper insight into postural control mechanisms. The aim of this study was to evaluate postural sway in ballroom dancers by comparing the male partner, the female partner, and the dance couple in the standard dance position. Seven international standard ballroom dance couples and fourteen amateur dancers with three months of ballroom training participated voluntarily. Postural sway was assessed using two force plates. Subjects assumed a standard dance position preceded by a short dance phase and were instructed to hold the position for 30 s. Each trial was repeated twice. Center of pressure (COP) parameters were calculated for the anterior–posterior and medio–lateral planes, and a two-way mixed-design ANOVA was applied to assess group and positional effects Significant main effects of group (professional vs. amateur dancers) were found for COP parameters in both planes, with professionals showing higher range of COP (ra COP), root mean square of COP (rms COP), and velocity of COP (v COP) values (p ≤ 0.003, η2p = 0.20–0.50).The effect of condition (male, female, pair) was also significant for most COP variables (p ≤ 0.001, η2p = 0.15–0.41), with female dancers demonstrating lower v COP and Sample entropy (SampEn) values compared to males and pairs. No significant group × position interactions were observed in the anterior–posterior plane (p ≥ 0.06), whereas a significant interaction appeared in the medio–lateral plane for SampEn (p = 0.04, η2p = 0.15). Ballroom dance training influences postural sway. The female partner appears to stabilize the couple, while professional couples exhibit less regular COP signals, suggesting greater automation of postural control compared to amateurs.
{"title":"Let’s dance −Postural control in ballroom dance Couples: Differences between Profesfsional and amateur dancers","authors":"Justyna Michalska, Żaneta Szuplak, Kajetan J. Słomka, Grzegorz Juras","doi":"10.1016/j.jbiomech.2025.113140","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbiomech.2025.113140","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Assessing ballroom dancers as a pair rather than as isolated subjects provides a deeper insight into postural control mechanisms. The aim of this study was to evaluate postural sway in ballroom dancers by comparing the male partner, the female partner, and the dance couple in the standard dance position. Seven international standard ballroom dance couples and fourteen amateur dancers with three months of ballroom training participated voluntarily. Postural sway was assessed using two force plates. Subjects assumed a standard dance position preceded by a short dance phase and were instructed to hold the position for 30 s. Each trial was repeated twice. Center of pressure (COP) parameters were calculated for the anterior–posterior and medio–lateral planes, and a two-way mixed-design ANOVA was applied to assess group and positional effects Significant main effects of group (professional vs. amateur dancers) were found for COP parameters in both planes, with professionals showing higher range of COP (ra COP), root mean square of COP (rms COP), and velocity of COP (v COP) values (p ≤ 0.003, η<sup>2</sup>p = 0.20–0.50).The effect of condition (male, female, pair) was also significant for most COP variables (p ≤ 0.001, η<sup>2</sup>p = 0.15–0.41), with female dancers demonstrating lower v COP and Sample entropy (SampEn) values compared to males and pairs. No significant group × position interactions were observed in the anterior–posterior plane (p ≥ 0.06), whereas a significant interaction appeared in the medio–lateral plane for SampEn (p = 0.04, η<sup>2</sup>p = 0.15). Ballroom dance training influences postural sway. The female partner appears to stabilize the couple, while professional couples exhibit less regular COP signals, suggesting greater automation of postural control compared to amateurs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15168,"journal":{"name":"Journal of biomechanics","volume":"195 ","pages":"Article 113140"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145878320","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2025.113103
Rachel S. Reeser , Mitchell C. VeDepo , Rukshika S. Hewawasam , Katherine A. Waugh , Kyndal A. Schade , Mostafa Abdel-Hafiz , Brisa Peña , Luisa Mestroni , Orfeo Sbaizero , Joaquin M. Espinosa , Chelsea M. Magin , Jeffrey G. Jacot
Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) account for 70% of all cases of patients diagnosed with a septal heart defect.
To investigate the mechanisms underlying aberrant septation in Down syndrome, we examined how altered extracellular-matrix composition and tissue stiffness in the Dp16 mouse model influence cardiomyocyte mechanotransduction using trisomy 21 iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes, revealing a potential biomechanical pathway contributing to congenital heart defects in the Down syndrome population.
We hypothesized that in DS, upregulation of type VI collagen and hyaluronic acid in the endocardial cushion increases cushion stiffness, altering cellular mechanotransduction and ultimately leading to differences in cell proliferation and gene expression that perturb heart development. Results found that endocardial cushions of the Dp16 mouse model of DS showed a non-significant trend toward increased stiffness compared to WT. Furthermore, iPSC-CM with trisomy 21 exhibited decreased proliferation following culture on substrates of increasing stiffness, and following cyclic mechanical stretch, DS iPSC-CM developed stress fibers, disorganized sarcomeres and a decreased expression of mature cardiac markers. Yet cyclic mechanical stretch of control iPSC-CM induced sarcomere alignment and increased mature cardiac gene expression compared to static conditions. These data argue that tissue mechanics, driven by upregulation of ECM proteins, lead to increased endocardial cushion stiffness in the Dp16 mouse, and that iPSC-CM with trisomy 21 aberrantly respond to changes to stiffness and stretch, ultimately proposing a novel avenue to investigate congenital heart defects in the DS population.
{"title":"Aberrant tissue mechanics and mechanotransduction during heart development in down syndrome","authors":"Rachel S. Reeser , Mitchell C. VeDepo , Rukshika S. Hewawasam , Katherine A. Waugh , Kyndal A. Schade , Mostafa Abdel-Hafiz , Brisa Peña , Luisa Mestroni , Orfeo Sbaizero , Joaquin M. Espinosa , Chelsea M. Magin , Jeffrey G. Jacot","doi":"10.1016/j.jbiomech.2025.113103","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbiomech.2025.113103","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) account for 70% of all cases of patients diagnosed with a septal heart defect.</div><div>To investigate the mechanisms underlying aberrant septation in Down syndrome, we examined how altered extracellular-matrix composition and tissue stiffness in the Dp16 mouse model influence cardiomyocyte mechanotransduction using trisomy 21 iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes, revealing a potential biomechanical pathway contributing to congenital heart defects in the Down syndrome population.</div><div>We hypothesized that in DS, upregulation of type VI collagen and hyaluronic acid in the endocardial cushion increases cushion stiffness, altering cellular mechanotransduction and ultimately leading to differences in cell proliferation and gene expression that perturb heart development. Results found that endocardial cushions of the Dp16 mouse model of DS showed a non-significant trend toward increased stiffness compared to WT. Furthermore, iPSC-CM with trisomy 21 exhibited decreased proliferation following culture on substrates of increasing stiffness, and following cyclic mechanical stretch, DS iPSC-CM developed stress fibers, disorganized sarcomeres and a decreased expression of mature cardiac markers. Yet cyclic mechanical stretch of control iPSC-CM induced sarcomere alignment and increased mature cardiac gene expression compared to static conditions. These data argue that tissue mechanics, driven by upregulation of ECM proteins, lead to increased endocardial cushion stiffness in the Dp16 mouse, and that iPSC-CM with trisomy 21 aberrantly respond to changes to stiffness and stretch, ultimately proposing a novel avenue to investigate congenital heart defects in the DS population.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15168,"journal":{"name":"Journal of biomechanics","volume":"195 ","pages":"Article 113103"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145863149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2025.113138
Li Mengtao , Wang Yawei , Niu Luoyan , Zhang Haoran , He Dongze , Xi Renhan , Liu Jialong , Fan Yubo
The transport and deposition of drug particles within patient’s respiratory systems played a vital role in determining the therapeutic effectiveness of inhalation therapy. This study focused on transport of inhalable particles to different lung lobes and the influences of breath-holding. An in vitro simulation system including a 3D printed respiratory tract, a respiratory pattern simulator and special-designed particle collectors was built for investigating transport of drug particles to different lung zones. A corresponding computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was also constructed. A transport ratio, ωT, and a deposition ratio, ωD, were defined for comparatively studying particles delivered to different lung lobes and deposited to different locations in the respiratory tract. In vitro experimental results revealed significant higher ωT to the left lung (29.1 % ± 4.2 %) compared to the right one (22.1 ± 4.4 %) under normal breathing condition, while ωT to the left upper (14.4 % ± 3.1 %) and left lower lobes were greater (14.6 % ± 2.8 %) than to the right lower lobe (10.5 % ± 3.0 %) than to the right middle and upper lobes (5.7 % ± 1.2 % and 6 % ± 2.0 %, respectively), and these results were in consistent to numerical simulation results. The results also showed that breath-holding increased nasal deposition ωD by 31–65 %, but had little effects on overall ωT to different lung lobes. These findings highlighted the role of airway anatomy and airflow dynamics in particles delivery, offering insights for optimizing inhalation therapy by identifying key mechanisms of aerosol transport and deposition.
{"title":"Transport and deposition of inhalable aerosol drug particles in the human respiratory tract: variations across lung zones and the impact of breath-holding","authors":"Li Mengtao , Wang Yawei , Niu Luoyan , Zhang Haoran , He Dongze , Xi Renhan , Liu Jialong , Fan Yubo","doi":"10.1016/j.jbiomech.2025.113138","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbiomech.2025.113138","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The transport and deposition of drug particles within patient’s respiratory systems played a vital role in determining the therapeutic effectiveness of inhalation therapy. This study focused on transport of inhalable particles to different lung lobes and the influences of breath-holding. An in vitro simulation system including a 3D printed respiratory tract, a respiratory pattern simulator and special-designed particle collectors was built for investigating transport of drug particles to different lung zones. A corresponding computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was also constructed. A transport ratio, <em>ω</em><sub>T</sub>, and a deposition ratio, <em>ω</em><sub>D</sub>, were defined for comparatively studying particles delivered to different lung lobes and deposited to different locations in the respiratory tract. In vitro experimental results revealed significant higher ωT to the left lung (29.1 % ± 4.2 %) compared to the right one (22.1 ± 4.4 %) under normal breathing condition, while ωT to the left upper (14.4 % ± 3.1 %) and left lower lobes were greater (14.6 % ± 2.8 %) than to the right lower lobe (10.5 % ± 3.0 %) than to the right middle and upper lobes (5.7 % ± 1.2 % and 6 % ± 2.0 %, respectively), and these results were in consistent to numerical simulation results. The results also showed that breath-holding increased nasal deposition <em>ω</em><sub>D</sub> by 31–65 %, but had little effects on overall <em>ω</em><sub>T</sub> to different lung lobes. These findings highlighted the role of airway anatomy and airflow dynamics in particles delivery, offering insights for optimizing inhalation therapy by identifying key mechanisms of aerosol transport and deposition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15168,"journal":{"name":"Journal of biomechanics","volume":"195 ","pages":"Article 113138"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145878342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2025.113143
Zahra Abedzadehzavareh, Christopher P. Connolly, Lukas Krumpl, Robert D. Catena
A common gait pattern during pregnancy is waddling gait with increased step width, which is clinically identified by trunk sway, but the specific correlates to trunk sway remain understudied. Existing research has not kinematically validated the combination of movements as a unified waddling gait pattern. In this study we examined the relationships among trunk kinematic characteristics, step width, and balance control.
Twenty-three pregnant individuals were assessed every four weeks between 18 and 34 weeks of gestation. Participants completed a quiet standing balance test and treadmill walking, from which spatiotemporal variables and trunk kinematics were calculated. Multiple linear regressions assessed whether waddling gait characteristics correlate with balance and step width.
Over gestation, trunk kinematics showed no significant change. However, step width increased by nearly 1 cm through pregnancy (p = 0.044). Irrespective of pregnancy, wider step width was associated with less sagittal thorax motion with respect to global, but more thorax motion with respect to the pelvis. However, over the course of pregnancy, women who adopted more waddling gait had larger reductions in sagittal trunk motion with respect to global (R2 = 0.255, p = 0.014).
This study is the first to identify how trunk characteristics correlate with waddling, but only trunk sagittal motion change was specific to pregnancy change in waddling. We identified pregnancy-related gait changes to guide prescribing supportive devices or exercises for balance, back, or pelvic pain. The findings may help healthcare providers be more mindful when deciding whether to restrict or encourage trunk motion in pregnant individuals.
妊娠期常见的步态模式是摇摇摆摆的步态，步宽增加，临床表现为躯干摆动，但与躯干摆动的具体相关性仍有待研究。现有的研究还没有从运动学上验证这些运动的组合是一种统一的蹒跚步态模式。在这项研究中，我们研究了躯干运动学特性、步宽和平衡控制之间的关系。23名孕妇在妊娠18至34周期间每4周接受一次评估。参与者完成了安静站立平衡测试和跑步机行走，从中计算时空变量和躯干运动学。多元线性回归评估摇摆步态特征是否与平衡和步宽相关。妊娠期间，躯干运动学无明显变化。然而，妊娠期台阶宽度增加了近1 cm （p = 0.044）。与妊娠无关，较宽的步宽与相对于整体矢状胸廓运动较少相关，但与相对于骨盆的胸廓运动较多相关。然而，在整个怀孕过程中，采用摇摇摆摆步态的女性相对于整体而言，躯干矢状面运动的减少幅度更大（R2 = 0.255, p = 0.014）。这项研究首次确定了躯干特征与蹒跚学步之间的关系，但只有躯干矢状运动的变化与蹒跚学步的妊娠变化有关。我们确定了妊娠相关的步态变化，以指导处方支持装置或平衡，背部或骨盆疼痛的锻炼。这一发现可能会帮助医疗服务提供者在决定是否限制或鼓励孕妇的躯干运动时更加谨慎。
{"title":"Defining trunk kinematics associated with pregnant waddling gait","authors":"Zahra Abedzadehzavareh, Christopher P. Connolly, Lukas Krumpl, Robert D. Catena","doi":"10.1016/j.jbiomech.2025.113143","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbiomech.2025.113143","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A common gait pattern during pregnancy is waddling gait with increased step width, which is clinically identified by trunk sway, but the specific correlates to trunk sway remain understudied. Existing research has not kinematically validated the combination of movements as a unified waddling gait pattern. In this study we examined the relationships among trunk kinematic characteristics, step width, and balance control.</div><div>Twenty-three pregnant individuals were assessed every four weeks between 18 and 34 weeks of gestation. Participants completed a quiet standing balance test and treadmill walking, from which spatiotemporal variables and trunk kinematics were calculated. Multiple linear regressions assessed whether waddling gait characteristics correlate with balance and step width.</div><div>Over gestation, trunk kinematics showed no significant change. However, step width increased by nearly 1 cm through pregnancy (p = 0.044). Irrespective of pregnancy, wider step width was associated with less sagittal thorax motion with respect to global, but more thorax motion with respect to the pelvis. However, over the course of pregnancy, women who adopted more waddling gait had larger reductions in sagittal trunk motion with respect to global (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.255, p = 0.014).</div><div>This study is the first to identify how trunk characteristics correlate with waddling, but only trunk sagittal motion change was specific to pregnancy change in waddling. We identified pregnancy-related gait changes to guide prescribing supportive devices or exercises for balance, back, or pelvic pain. The findings may help healthcare providers be more mindful when deciding whether to restrict or encourage trunk motion in pregnant individuals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15168,"journal":{"name":"Journal of biomechanics","volume":"195 ","pages":"Article 113143"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145880510","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2025.113145
Lucas Gidiel-Machado , Eduardo Rodrigues Lauz , Nathália Kolling da Rosa , Eliana Citolim Rech , Germano Buzatto de Souza , Victória dos Santos Turchetto , Lucas De Liz Alves , André Ivaniski-Mello , Heinrich Leon Souza Viera , Fábio Juner Lanferdini
Fascicle curvature is often disregarded in muscle architecture analyses, leading to errors in fascicle length (FL) and pennation angle (PA). This study aimed to examine the reliability of a semi-automated method for analyzing vastus lateralis (VL) muscle architecture from extended field–of–view (EFOV) ultrasound images, using a Python-based algorithm that accounts for fascicle curvature. This method was compared to manual linear analysis performed in ImageJ. Additionally, the influence of fascicle curvature versus linearity across different VL regions was investigated. EFOV ultrasound images of the VL muscle from 102 athletes were analyzed by three raters. Muscle thickness (MT) was assessed along the entire VL belly, while FL and PA were measured in the proximal, middle, and distal regions. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Bland–Altman were used to evaluate reliability and agreement. ANOVA was used to assess fascicle curvature across VL regions. Each rater demonstrated good–to-excellent reliability between the Python algorithm and ImageJ. The raters mean inter-software reliability was excellent for FL (ICC = 0.97), PA (ICC = 0.95), and MT (ICC = 0.99). Bland–Altman analysis revealed minor discrepancies between software. In the curved versus linear fascicle analysis, the proximal region exhibited pronounced fascicle curvature and was the only region where FL and PA were significantly underestimated when assuming linearity. The semi-automated Python algorithm provides a reliable tool for analyzing VL muscle architecture from EFOV ultrasound images while accounting for fascicle curvature. Assuming fascicle linearity may lead to underestimation of FL and PA, particularly in the proximal VL region.
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