Component analysis of ground reaction force with respect to variable walking speeds

The measurements of components of ground reaction force (GRF) are important in biomechanical analysis for clinical gait assessment, gait research, rehabilitation, ergonomics and sports. Ground reaction forces (vertical, fore-aft, lateral) are the reaction forces as a result of contact between the foot and the ground and these forms an integral part of human movement analysis. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the effects of walking speed on GRF using Kistler quartz force platform embedded on the floor. In order to minimise differences in the gait of normal subjects due to ‘constrained’ walking, subject were requested to walk with their self-selected walking speed on the walkway. Components of GRF were recorded and analysed using Kistler’s Bioware software. It was convincingly observed that with increasing walking speed magnitude of vertical component of ground reaction force increases at F z 1 and F z 3 whereas decreased at F z 2 . The for-aft component shows an increasing trend at F y 1 and F y 2 with increasing walking speed but no such trend can be seen in case of the lateral component.