Inter-foot coordination dynamics of quiet standing postures

It has long been held that the net center of pressure (COPNET) is the controlling variable to human stance that indirectly represents postural sway. The formation of the COPNET trajectory emerges from an active control of transporting the body weight from one foot to the other and the self-organized coordination of the COP of each individual foot - properties that cannot be determined from the typical single force platform protocol. The findings of recent studies, with the application of the two-force platform paradigm, have revealed the coordination properties of the lower limbs in regulating COPNET. In this article, we review these new findings and insights into the control of postural stability within the framework of a dynamic systems approach. The issues include: (1) the active asymmetrical body weight distribution and transportation process during both short- and long-term stances; (2) the spatial and temporal characteristics of the inter- and intra-foot COP coupling dynamics; (3) the influence of mechanical constraints (e.g., foot position, foot orientation, etc.) on the inter-foot and intra-foot COP coordination dynamics; and (4) the role of the specificity of task context to the functional asymmetry of the feet and its relation to footedness. The findings from foot coordination dynamics reveal subtle regulation of stability and instability in postural control that needs to be mapped to the coordination dynamics of the multi-link postural control system.