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Kinetic role of the metatarsophalangeal joint in normal walking: Joint moment and power

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Abstract

Joint moment and power of the metatarsophalangeal (MP) joint in normal horizontal barefoot walking were determined in this study. The three-dimensional motion analysis with synchronous measurements of ground reaction forces and foot pressure distribution was performed with the two-segment foot model. Twenty-two adult subjects were selected for the study. Compared to the previous studies, results of this study showed reasonable joint moments from foot-flat to toe-off. The MP joint angles showed a very good agreement with the previous studies. The maximum MP joint moment was 0.13 ± 0.04 Nm/kg at pre-swing, approximately one-tenth of the ankle joint moment. A considerable energy absorption of approximately 6.56 %GC J/kg was found at the MP joint during 30~60% of the gait cycle. This study would be beneficial to understand the mechanism of various foot diseases such as hallux valgus and plantar fasciitis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering & Institute of Medical Engineering, Graduate School of Yonsei University, Maeji-ri, Heungeop-myeon, Wonju, Gangwon, Korea, 220-710

    Youngho Kim, Seunghyeon Kim, Jongsang Son & Bora Jeong

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  1. Youngho Kim
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  2. Seunghyeon Kim
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  3. Jongsang Son
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  4. Bora Jeong
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Correspondence to Youngho Kim.

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Kim, Y., Kim, S., Son, J. et al. Kinetic role of the metatarsophalangeal joint in normal walking: Joint moment and power. Int. J. Precis. Eng. Manuf. 13, 1481–1485 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12541-012-0195-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12541-012-0195-z

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