Introduction
Sports physicians are frequently required to decide on patient weight-bearing limitations following certain bony or soft tissue injuries as well as lower-limb surgical procedures. The purpose of this presentation is to provide researched data regarding the average percentage body weight (APBW) values and weight-bearing distribution patterns (WBDP) between four common leisure and sports activities in a referent adult population and to suggest clinical implications.
Methods
An innovative weight-bearing system gait analysis system (SmartStep™) was utilized in this study. Asymptomatic subjects (N= 78, mean age, 33.4y; range 19-72y) were included. The subjects participated in four tests: I. Ground walking over a 20 m distance, II. Ground jogging over a 20 m distance, III. Treadmill jogging at a constant speed of 8.5 km/hr for a 15-second interval and IV. Elliptical jogging over a 20 second period at a resistance and incline level of 10, and at a steady pace within the range of 70-95 steps/min.
Results
In walking tests, the APBW value on the entire foot value was 112% (SD=15.57), 80% (SD= 15.92) on the hind foot, and 108% (SD= 15.47) on the forefoot. In ground jogging, the APBW value on the entire foot was 201% (SD= 31.24), 101% (SD= 21.78) on the hind foot, and 174% (SD=28.52) on the forefoot. In the treadmill test, the APBW value on the entire foot was 175% (SD=25.48), 88% (SD=24.86) on the hind foot, and 146% (SD=25.59) on the forefoot. In the elliptical test, the APBW value on the entire foot value was 73% (SD=13.8), 33% (SD= 13.7) on the hind foot, and 48% (SD= 15.9) on the forefoot.
Conclusion
Elliptical training significantly reduces weight-bearing as compared to other common functional and sporting activities and therefore should be considered early on in rehabilitation following lower limb trauma or surgery where weight bearing may be limited.