http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/services/Feed ${session.getAttribute("locale")} 5 http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:11876 Excessive or prolonged foot pronation has been linked to the development of numerous overuse injuries affecting the lower limb. The originally proposed pathomechanical model suggests foot motion affects more proximal structures through disruption of distal to proximal coupling between the foot, tibia, femur, and hip. Research evidence supports the presence of a dynamic coupling mechanism between lower limb segments, however, the direction of the coupling is inconclusive. Recent prospective investigations of the role of the lumbo-pelvic hip complex have identified a strong association between proximal dysfunction and increased risk of lower limb injuries. Strength of muscles of the lumbo-pelvic hip complex (core muscles) is suggested to be essential to controlling hip abduction, subsequent internal rotation of the femur and potentially more distal movement. Proximal muscle weakness and altered motor control have also been implicated in the development of numerous lower limb injuries, many of which have previously been attributed to excessive foot pronation. This review discusses the theoretical basis for the role of proximal and distal structures in biomechanical dysfunction of the lower limb and the development of lower limb overuse injury. Current prospective evidence relating to the contributions of excessive foot pronation and core muscle function to the development of lower extremity injury is evaluated. 2012-11-01T01:44:42.420Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:654 Primary objectives: (i) To assess the measurement properties of the high-level mobility assessment tool (HiMAT) for people with traumatic brain injury (TBI), (ii) to measure the extent to which the HiMAT is a uni-dimensional, discriminative hierarchical outcome scale. Research design: The content validity was assessed using a three-stage process of investigating internal consistency, factor analysis and Rasch analysis. The uni-dimensionality of the HiMAT items was also tested. Discriminability was investigated by correlating raw and logit scores obtained from Rasch analysis. The study was conducted at a major rehabilitation facility using a convenience sample of 103 adults with TBI. Main outcomes and results: The internal consistency for the high-level items was very high (Cronbach's alpha = 0.99). Principal axis factoring identified several balance items as belonging to a second factor not related to high-level mobility, hence these items were excluded. Rasch analysis identified several misfitting items, such as walking around a figure of eight and stopping from a run, which were also excluded. Logit scores were used to exclude clustered and, therefore, redundant items. Raw scores correlated very highly (r = 0.98) with logit scores, indicating that raw scores provided good discriminability and were suitable for use by clinicians. Conclusion: The HiMAT, which assesses higher-level mobility requirements of people with TBI for return to pre-accident social, leisure and sporting activities, is a uni-dimensional and discriminative scale for quantifying therapy outcomes. 2010-04-27T05:42:21.756Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:5914 Generally online walk pattern generators for humanoids are simplified, and don’t produce ideal gaits. Allowing the robot to ‘settle’ into a more natural gait through the modification of the low-level positional controller would provide significant benefits. In this paper we attempt to achieve this, by limiting the power available to each motor in a humanoid, hence restricting how rigidly the joint can follow the generated walk pattern. This approach was evaluated by implementing the control modification on a humanoid robotics platform. The results show a significant improvement in walk speed, efficiency, and robustness. Moreover, the approach used here could be easily applied to any walk pattern generator, as the modification is in the low-level positional control. 2010-04-27T04:51:11.699Z ]]>