Effects of load carriage and footwear on lower extremity kinetics and kinematics during overground walking

- We compare the effects of loading and footwear on walking gait.
- Loading increases vertical and anteroposterior ground reaction forces.
- Walking barefoot decreases anteroposterior, but not vertical, ground reaction forces.
- Loading increases ankle, knee, and hip joint moments and powers.
- Walking barefoot increases knee and hip joint moments and powers.

Kinetic and kinematic responses during walking vary by footwear condition. Load carriage also influences gait patterns, but it is unclear how an external load influences barefoot walking. Twelve healthy adults (5 women, 7 men) with no known gait abnormalities participated in this study (age = 23 ± 3 years, height = 1.73 ± 0.11 m, and mass = 70.90 ± 12.67 kg). Ground reaction forces and 3D motion were simultaneously collected during overground walking at 1.5 m s−1 in four conditions: Barefoot Unloaded, Shod Unloaded, Barefoot Loaded, and Shod Loaded. Barefoot walking reduced knee and hip joint ranges of motion, as well as stride length, stance time, swing time, and double support time. Load carriage increased stance and double support times. The 15% body weight load increased GRFs ∼15%. Walking barefoot reduced peak anteroposterior GRFs but not peak vertical GRFs. Load carriage increased hip, knee, and ankle joint moments and powers, while walking barefoot increased knee and hip moments and powers. Thus, spatiotemporal and kinematic adjustments to walking barefoot decrease GRFs but increase knee and hip kinetic measures during overground walking. The ankle seems to be less affected by these footwear conditions. Regardless of footwear, loading requires larger GRFs, joint loads, and joint powers.