The contribution of hip hiking to limb altitude control: a 3-D modelling approach

Recent experimental studies demonstrate a dominant contribution of vertical hip translational energy to limb elevation over obstacles. A 3-D modelling technique is used to investigate the sources and contributions of hip hiking to limb altitude control during the swing phase of obstructed gait. The models developed are fitted to the experimental kinematic data of normal humans. The effect of changing the calculated moments on the simulated kinematics was then investigated. It was found that hip hiking, is the most energy efficient strategy, and that it is most effective when applied during the double-support phase of locomotion prior to initiation of the swing phase