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Symmetry
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Motion, Gait Analysis and Asymmetry
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Motion, Gait Analysis and Asymmetry

A special issue of Symmetry (ISSN 2073-8994). This special issue belongs to the section "Life Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2022) | Viewed by 17698

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Paul Sung

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Health Sciences, IWU-National & Global, Indiana Wesleyan University, 4201 South Washington Street, Marion, IN 46953, USA
Interests: clinical biomechanics; motion analysis; non-operative spine care and its clinical application to neuromuscular control; electromyography; kinesiology; balance assessment and fall prevention strategies

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Scientists and clinicians are interested in the establishment of symmetry at the whole-body scale, as well as within individual characteristics. Symmetry is often difficult to establish in real-world interactions. For example, compensatory asymmetries in movement science have been extensively studied between healthy subjects and individuals with pathologies. However, there is conflicting evidence within various tasks, individual variations, and other unknown factors. Even in ergonomic studies where only right-handed individuals were included, results suggest a more protective approach for doing a task that may not apply to left-handed workers. It is critical to pay attention to functional asymmetries, gait analyses, and asymmetries in the neuromusculoskeletal system. Research is needed in order to generate new knowledge and apply it to practical phenomena that would enhance our understanding in both foundational science and the arts. The aim of the present Special Issue is to provide evidence of the phenomena that lie at the crossroads of dynamic motions, gait analyses, motor control, and the asymmetry of functional consequences to implement rehabilitation.

Prof. Dr. Paul Sung
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Symmetry is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • motion
  • gait analysis
  • pain
  • compensation
  • function
  • posture
  • symmetry
  • motor control

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 3764 KiB  
Article
Lower Limb Perfusion Asymmetries in Humans at Rest and Following Activity—A Collective View
by Luis Monteiro Rodrigues, Clemente Gomes Rocha, Margarida Esteves Florindo and João Gregório
Symmetry 2021, 13(12), 2348; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym13122348 - 7 Dec 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2540
Abstract
The significance of lower limb perfusion asymmetries remains unknown in healthy individuals. Our study aims to understand how factors such as posture, sex, age, and body weight relate to perfusion. Data from studies previously published by our group, including experiments using laser Doppler [...] Read more.
The significance of lower limb perfusion asymmetries remains unknown in healthy individuals. Our study aims to understand how factors such as posture, sex, age, and body weight relate to perfusion. Data from studies previously published by our group, including experiments using laser Doppler flowmetry as the gold standard for perfusion measurements in baseline, (various) challenge, and recovery phases was assembled from a total of 139 healthy participants. Body position was shown to be a primary determinant of perfusion asymmetry, especially in women. Effects of sex and age were also analyzed. In a supine position, perfusion asymmetries seemed to relate negatively in the aged group of participants, where challenge and recovery seemed to follow different processes. In the upright position, young men and women have shown comparable distributions and asymmetry ratios at baseline and recovery. In the aged group, differences between sexes were observed at baseline, but again, the course of the asymmetry ratios with challenge was essentially similar in men and women. Our analysis suggests that ageing is a critical determinant in our upright study sample, as higher baseline asymmetries and longer recoveries after challenge were linked in older males with higher body mass index (BMI). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Motion, Gait Analysis and Asymmetry)
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15 pages, 1974 KiB  
Article
Standardized Biomechanical Investigation of Posture and Gait in Pisa Syndrome Disease
by Elisa Panero, Ugo Dimanico, Carlo Alberto Artusi and Laura Gastaldi
Symmetry 2021, 13(12), 2237; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym13122237 - 23 Nov 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1833
Abstract
Pisa syndrome is one of the possible postural deformities associated with Parkinson’s disease and it is clinically defined as a sustained lateral bending of the trunk. Some previous studies proposed clinical and biomechanical investigation to understand the pathophysiological mechanisms that occur, mainly focusing [...] Read more.
Pisa syndrome is one of the possible postural deformities associated with Parkinson’s disease and it is clinically defined as a sustained lateral bending of the trunk. Some previous studies proposed clinical and biomechanical investigation to understand the pathophysiological mechanisms that occur, mainly focusing on EMG patterns and clinics. The current research deals with the assessment of a standardized biomechanical analysis to investigate the Pisa syndrome postural effects. Eight patients participated in the experimental test. Both static posture and gait trials were performed. An optoelectronic system and two force plates were used for data acquisition, while a custom multi-segments kinematic model of the human spine was used to evaluate the 3D angles. All subjects showed an important flexion of the trunk superior segment with respect to the inferior one, with a strong variability among patients (range values between 4.3° and 41.0°). Kinematics, ground reaction forces and spatio-temporal parameters are influenced by the asymmetrical trunk posture. Moreover, different proprioception, compensation and abilities of correction were depicted among subjects. Considering the forces exchanged by the feet with the floor during standing, results highlighted a significant asymmetry (p-value = 0.02) between the omo and contralateral side in a normal static posture, with greater load distribution on the same side of lateral deviation. When asked to self-correct the posture, all patients demonstrated a reduction of asymmetry, but without stressing any statistical significance. All these aspects might be crucial for the definition of a PS patients’ classification and for the assessment of the efficacy of treatments and rehabilitation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Motion, Gait Analysis and Asymmetry)
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9 pages, 824 KiB  
Article
Preferred Limb Reaction, Swing and Recovery Step Times between Subjects with and without Chronic Low Back Pain
by Paul S. Sung and Emily Hosmer
Symmetry 2021, 13(11), 2115; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym13112115 - 8 Nov 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1592
Abstract
A compensatory stepping strategy following repeated perturbations may compromise dynamic balance and postural stability. However, there is a lack of study on preferred limb reaction, swing, and step time adjustments. The purpose of this study was to investigate limb reaction, swing, and recovery [...] Read more.
A compensatory stepping strategy following repeated perturbations may compromise dynamic balance and postural stability. However, there is a lack of study on preferred limb reaction, swing, and step time adjustments. The purpose of this study was to investigate limb reaction, swing, and recovery step times following repeated trip perturbations in individuals with and without non-specific chronic low back pain (LBP). There were 30 subjects with LBP and 50 control subjects who participated in the study. The limb reaction, swing, and recovery step times (s) were measured following treadmill-induced random repeated perturbations (0.12 m/s velocity for 62.5 cm displacement), which caused subjects to move forward for 4.90 s. Both groups demonstrated a significant interaction of repetitions and times (F = 4.39, p = 0.03). Specifically, the recovery step time was significantly shorter in the LBP group during the first trip (t = 2.23, p = 0.03). There was a significant interaction on repetitions and times (F = 6.03, p = 0.02) in the LBP group, and the times were significantly different (F = 45.04, p = 0.001). The initial limb reaction time of the LBP group was significantly correlated with three repeated swing times to avoid falls. The novelty of the first trip tends to enhance a protective strategy implemented by the LBP group. Although limb preference did not demonstrate a significant difference between groups, the LBP group demonstrated shorter recovery step times on their preferred limb initially in order to implement an adaptive strategy to avoid fall injuries following repeated perturbations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Motion, Gait Analysis and Asymmetry)
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Graphical abstract

9 pages, 5634 KiB  
Article
Longitudinal Changes in Running Gait Asymmetries and Their Relationship to Personal Record Race Times in Collegiate Cross Country Runners
by Mikel R. Stiffler-Joachim, Stephanie A. Kliethermes, Jack A. Martin, Claire S. Tanaka, Ramsey Benkert and Bryan C. Heiderscheit
Symmetry 2021, 13(9), 1729; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym13091729 - 18 Sep 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2595
Abstract
Minimizing between-limb asymmetries during running is often a goal of training, as increased asymmetries are related to decreased efficiency and increased energy expenditure. However, it is unknown if asymmetries change with increased running exposure or are related to actual race performance. The purpose [...] Read more.
Minimizing between-limb asymmetries during running is often a goal of training, as increased asymmetries are related to decreased efficiency and increased energy expenditure. However, it is unknown if asymmetries change with increased running exposure or are related to actual race performance. The purpose of this study was to determine (1) if pre-season asymmetries changed year-to-year among collegiate cross country runners, and (2) if these asymmetries were associated with within-season personal records (PRs). Pre-season biomechanical test results and race performance data were analyzed for 54 unique runners (28 female) across six seasons, totaling 152 assessments (age: 19.1 (0.9) years, height: 1.71 (0.10) m, weight: 61.7 (7.7) kg (values = mean [standard deviation])). Biomechanical asymmetries included ground reaction forces; ground contact time; base of gait; foot inclination angle; and peak hip flexion, hip extension, hip adduction, pelvic drop, knee flexion, and ankle dorsiflexion. Year of collegiate eligibility was used to quantify training exposure. Asymmetries during running did not change across years of eligibility (p ≥ 0.12), except propulsive impulse, which decreased over time (p = 0.03). PR times were faster with decreased propulsive impulse asymmetry and increased AVLR and peak ankle dorsiflexion asymmetries. This is the first study to assess longitudinal asymmetries over time and provide potential targets for interventions aimed at modifying asymmetries to improve performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Motion, Gait Analysis and Asymmetry)
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10 pages, 2520 KiB  
Article
Increased Asymmetry of Trunk, Pelvis, and Hip Motion during Gait in Ambulatory Children with Spina Bifida
by Melissa A. Bent, Eva M. Ciccodicola, Susan A. Rethlefsen and Tishya A. L. Wren
Symmetry 2021, 13(9), 1595; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym13091595 - 31 Aug 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2742
Abstract
Spina bifida (SB) is caused by incomplete neural tube closure and results in multiple impairments, including muscle weakness. The severity of muscle weakness depends on the neurologic lesion level. Though typically symmetric, there can be asymmetries in neurologic lesion level, motor strength, skeletal [...] Read more.
Spina bifida (SB) is caused by incomplete neural tube closure and results in multiple impairments, including muscle weakness. The severity of muscle weakness depends on the neurologic lesion level. Though typically symmetric, there can be asymmetries in neurologic lesion level, motor strength, skeletal structures, and body composition that affect patients’ gait and function. Using body segment and joint motion obtained through 3D computerized motion analysis, we evaluated asymmetry and range of motion at the hip, pelvis, and trunk in the frontal and transverse planes during gait in 57 ambulatory children with SB and 48 typically developing controls. Asymmetry and range of hip, pelvis, and trunk motion in the frontal and transverse planes were significantly greater for patients with mid-lumbar and higher level lesions compared with those having sacral/low-lumbar level lesions and controls without disability (p ≤ 0.01). Crutch use decreased asymmetry of trunk rotation in mid-lumbar level patients from 10.5° to 2.6° (p ≤ 0.01). Patients with asymmetric involvement (sacral level on one side and L3-4 on the other) functioned similarly to sacral level patients, suggesting that they may be better categorized using their stronger side rather than their weaker side as is traditional. The information gained from this study may be useful to clinicians when assessing bracing and assistive device needs for patients with asymmetric SB involvement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Motion, Gait Analysis and Asymmetry)
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9 pages, 1049 KiB  
Article
A Proposal for a Linear Calculation of Gait Asymmetry
by Linda Maria Adriana van Gelder, Lorenza Angelini, Ellen E. Buckley and Claudia Mazzà
Symmetry 2021, 13(9), 1560; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym13091560 - 25 Aug 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2800
Abstract
Pathological gait is often associated with a lack of symmetry. A possible way to quantify this feature is to use acceleration data measured by a sensor located on the lower trunk. The most common approach calculates a symmetry index starting from the autocorrelation [...] Read more.
Pathological gait is often associated with a lack of symmetry. A possible way to quantify this feature is to use acceleration data measured by a sensor located on the lower trunk. The most common approach calculates a symmetry index starting from the autocorrelation function, aiming to measure the divergence in motion of the left and right sides of the body. The various methods proposed to implement this approach are based on nonlinear and discontinuous functions, and the interpretation of their output is far from straightforward. The aim of this study was to propose a linear and easier to interpret quantification measure for gait asymmetry. The proposed measure was tested on data from healthy controls and from patients with Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease, and it was shown to negate the flaws present in previous methods and to provide more directly interpretable results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Motion, Gait Analysis and Asymmetry)
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11 pages, 9121 KiB  
Article
Deficits in Performance on a Mechanically Coupled Asymmetrical Bilateral Task in Chronic Stroke Survivors with Mild Unilateral Paresis
by Shanie A. L. Jayasinghe, Candice Maenza, David C. Good and Robert L. Sainburg
Symmetry 2021, 13(8), 1366; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym13081366 - 27 Jul 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1958
Abstract
Typical upper limb-mediated activities of daily living involve coordination of both arms, often requiring distributed contributions to mechanically coupled tasks, such as stabilizing a loaf of bread with one hand while slicing with the other. We sought to examine whether mild paresis in [...] Read more.
Typical upper limb-mediated activities of daily living involve coordination of both arms, often requiring distributed contributions to mechanically coupled tasks, such as stabilizing a loaf of bread with one hand while slicing with the other. We sought to examine whether mild paresis in one arm results in deficits in performance on a bilateral mechanically coupled task. We designed a virtual reality-based task requiring one hand to stabilize against a spring load that varies with displacement of the other arm. We recruited 15 chronic stroke survivors with mild hemiparesis and 7 age-matched neurologically intact adults. We found that stroke survivors produced less linear reaching movements and larger initial direction errors compared to controls (p < 0.05), and that contralesional hand performance was less linear than that of ipsilesional hand. We found a hand × group interaction (p < 0.05) for peak acceleration of the stabilizing hand, such that the dominant right hand of controls stabilized less effectively than the nondominant left hand while stroke survivors showed no differences between the hands. Our results indicate that chronic stroke survivors with mild hemiparesis show significant deficits in reaching aspects of bilateral coordination, but no deficits in stabilizing against a movement-dependent spring load in this task. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Motion, Gait Analysis and Asymmetry)
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