OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the kinematic, kinetic and electromyographic characteristics of young adults walking on a fixed platform without a vest and with partial body weight support (PBWS) of 0, 10, 20 and 30%. METHOD: Eight young adults (mean age: 22.2 years) were videotaped walking on a walkway that contained a force plate embedded in its middle portion, to record the ground reaction force (GRF) components. Reflective markers were placed on the main anatomical points of the lower limbs in order to acquire kinematic data, and surface electrodes were attached to the tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius medialis muscles in order to record electromyographic muscle activity. RESULTS: Significant differences among the five experimental conditions were observed with regard to spatial-temporal variables, the maximum and minimum angles for the thigh, knee, and ankle, and the amplitudes of the anteroposterior horizontal and vertical GRF components. Generally, the greatest changes occurred with PBWS of 30%. CONCLUSION: It is important to take into consideration the compensations to walking patterns that occur with PBWS, in planning therapeutic interventions. Moreover, to better define the use of suspended weight systems in rehabilitation programs, further investigations should be conducted in order to verify the walking patterns on fixed platforms among populations with movement disorders.
gait; biomechanics; ground reaction force
