Foot Clearance for Different Methods of Stair Ascent
Open Access
- Author:
- Walter, Curtis
- Area of Honors:
- Kinesiology
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- John Henry Challis, Thesis Supervisor
Mark Dyreson, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- Biomechanics
Kinesiology
Stair Negotiation
Foot Clearance - Abstract:
- One of the leading causes of injury in the elderly population is falls, which commonly take place on stairs. While previous studies have examined activity level and medication history on the ability of the elderly to climb stairs, and evaluated the biomechanics of climbing stairs while multitasking, no studies to date have evaluated the influence of different methods of climbing stairs. This study examined the mechanics of different methods of ascending stairs. Specifically, subjects ascended stairs using different techniques: 1) one foot on a step at a time, 2) stepping sideways, with both feet on a step before moving to the next, and 3) stepping sideways with both hands holding a railing. Foot clearance during each of these techniques was measured as well as the associated ground reaction forces. This study recruited six healthy subjects with a mean age of 21.9 ± 1.16 years old. Motion analysis and force data were collected during the three different techniques of stair ascent. It was found that there was no significant difference in minimum foot clearance values between the methods of stair ascent, although the time to clear a stair edge was shorter for the one on a step method compared with the other two methods. However, peak vertical ground reaction forces in the forwards condition were significantly greater than in the sideways with handrail condition. These results provide initial evidence that ascending a staircase sideways while using a handrail may be the safest way to negotiate stairs for the elderly.