HIP MOTION ANALYSIS USING PARAMETRIC MATHEMATICAL MODELING IN MIDDLE AGED TO ELDERLY ADULTS DURING WALKING

Abstract

Human gait is influenced by changes in joints of the pelvis, hips, knees and ankles, which demonstrate three degrees of freedom. Thus, this study presents a mathematical model for the establishment of the hip rotation trajectory using measured data. We used multibody dynamics simulation software (LifeMOD) to establish a model of the human lower limb, whereby the three dimensional trajectory of the hip joint could be analyzed. We used advanced equipment to measure the trajectories of the internal rotation and external rotation of the hip joint in middle aged to elderly adults during walking. Curve fitting was used to obtain the average internal rotation and external rotation of the hip joint, and relationships between the amplitude, period, initial movement phase, subject height and walking speed were assessed. The observations from this study suggest that mathematical modeling of internal rotation and external rotation of hip joint can be performed using this approach. This modeling technique can be used to track the trajectory planning of rehabilitation robots and the external skeletons leading to improved human–computer interactions, and evaluation of response to rehabilitation.