BACKGROUND Stair climbing is a challenging task to the elderly being the task with the first complaint in patients with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis. Stair climbing results in around six times more compressive load transmitted through the knee joint than walking on level ground. The purpose of this study was to assess whether lateral wedge insoles would reduce medial compartment knee lo...

Reinforced concrete stair slabs with mid landings i.e. Dog-legged shaped are conventionally designed as per specifications of standard codes of practices which guide about the effective span according to the varying support conditions. Presently, the behavior of such slabs has been investigated using Finite Element method. A single flight stair slab with landings on both sides and supported at ...

The goals of the study were to compare data of vertical ground reaction force (GRF) parameters during level walking, stair ascent and descent on three different stair inclinations and three different age groups. Twenty healthy subjects of three age groups (young 33.7 years; middle 63.6 years; old 76.5 years) were tested during the seven test conditions with 8-10 repetitions. Vertical forces wer...

OBJECTIVE Patients with diabetes with peripheral neuropathy have a well-recognized increased risk of falls that may result in hospitalization. Therefore this study aimed to assess balance during the dynamic daily activities of walking on level ground and stair negotiation, where falls are most likely to occur. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Gait analysis during level walking and stair negotiatio...

Although the visual system is known to provide relevant information to guide stair locomotion, there is less understanding of the specific contributions of foveal and peripheral visual field information. The present study investigated the specific role of foveal vision during stair locomotion and ground-stairs transitions by using a dual-task paradigm to influence the ability to rely on foveal ...

BACKGROUND Total hip replacement (THR) and total knee replacement (TKR) are common orthopaedic procedures. However, an optimal programme for post-operative rehabilitation has yet to be established. Stair negotiation is a challenging, habitual task, regularly used as a post-operative functional outcome measure; yet as a physical rehabilitation intervention it appears to be rarely used. AIM The...

OBJECTIVE The objective of the present study was to assess whether patients unable to perform a preoperative maximal stair climbing test had an increased incidence of morbidity and mortality after major lung resection compared to patients who were able to exercise. METHODS Three hundred and ninety one patients submitted to pulmonary lobectomy or pneumonectomy for lung cancer were analyzed. Fo...

Introduction There is no doubt that higher physical activity and fitness levels are inversely associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) [1]. Yet, most Europeans and Americans do not meet current minimum physical activity recommendations [2] and the prevalence of CVD risk factors related to a sedentary lifestyle, such as obesity and diabetes, is increasing at an alarming rate [3,4...

Thirteen school children aged 12.21 ± 0.98 years carried backpack and one-strap athletic bag during their stair ascent and descent. The load weights of the bags included 0%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of body weight. A Novel Pedar System was used to record and analyze the insole pressure during stair descending with different loads. The first peak force was 1.59 times the second peak force. A load of 15...

Here we show that novel, energy-recycling stairs reduce the amount of work required for humans to both ascend and descend stairs. Our low-power, interactive, and modular steps can be placed on existing staircases, storing energy during stair descent and returning that energy to the user during stair ascent. Energy is recycled through event-triggered latching and unlatching of passive springs wi...