LOWER EXTREMITIES BIOMECHANICS OF REGULAR STAIR CLIMBING: SLIM VERSUS OBESE

Abstract

The kinematic and kinetic differences between obese and slim people when climbing a staircase at their self-selected speed are compared. A four-step wooden stair instrumented with two force plates were used as the action platform whilst the kinematic and kinetic recordings were collected and analyzed using a six-camera and two-force plate three-dimensional motion analysis system. Ten obese adults, six males and four females, and ten lean adults, six males and four females, volunteered for the study. The results showed that the obese people are able to reduce the knee joint flexion moment when climbing stair compared to the normal slim people. In the frontal plane, no significant differences were found in the knee adduction moment. Moreover, obese individuals have identified some kinematics adaptations including slower velocity and longer stance phase, compared to slim individuals. The obese individuals might adjust their gait characteristics in response to their heavy bodies to reduce or maintain the same load on the knee joint as slim individuals.