Effect of Increased Heel Strike During Gait on Selected Kinematic and kinetic Features of Ankle and Knee Joints in Athletes

The present study was done to evaluate the effectiveness of some kinetic and kinematic features of healthy athletes during increased heel strike pattern. This case-control study was carried out on 13 professional healthy male athletes in two positions of normal and increased heel strike gait patterns. Range of motion, knee and ankle joint torque and vertical ground reaction force measured by the Kistler and Vicon motion analysis system. Results showed that increased heel strike compare to normal level walking caused significantly reduced knee flexion angle at the moment of heel contact and stance phase, mean values ​​of external rotational and adductor knee moments. In addition, increased ankle dorsiflexion during midstance was significantly high in increase heel strike pattern compare to usual pattern. It seems that increased heel strike pattern decreases knee mechanical loading and more importantly, increasing elasticity of gastrocnemius-soleus muscles provided by heel strike pattern.