Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
2.4
1.4
Journals
Biomechanics
Special Issues
Gait and Balance Control in Typical and Special Individuals: Second...
share announcement

Gait and Balance Control in Typical and Special Individuals: Second Edition

A special issue of Biomechanics (ISSN 2673-7078).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 March 2026 | Viewed by 1304

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Luis Augusto Teixeira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Human Motor Systems Laboratory, School of Physical Education and Sport, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-030, Brazil
Interests: body balance control in young, older and neurologic individuals; interlateral asymmetry of behavior
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Research on gait and balance control has evolved rapidly in recent years. By employing biomechanical techniques in scientific investigation, the knowledge on different factors related to this subject matter has increased. This observation applies not only to typical people but also to several special groups of particular interest within this theme, such as older adults, athletes or individuals suffering from Parkinson’s disease, cerebral stroke or cerebral palsy, to mention some examples. To compose a Special Issue to be published in the “Neuromechanics” section, we invite authors to submit for consideration original or review manuscripts approaching the theme of “gait and balance control” from a biomechanical perspective. We expect to gather in this Special Issue the diversity of applied and theoretical advancements on the matter.

Dr. Luis Augusto Teixeira
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomechanics is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biomechanics
  • motor control
  • balance
  • gait
  • athletes
  • Parkinson&rsquo
  • s disease
  • cerebral stroke
  • cerebral palsy
  • aging

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Other

8 pages, 675 KB  
Article
Impact of Walking Path Length on Gait Parameters During the 2-Minute Walk Test in Healthy Young Adults
by Cecilia Lo Zoppo, Valeria Belluscio and Giuseppe Vannozzi
Biomechanics 2025, 5(4), 82; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomechanics5040082 - 10 Oct 2025
Viewed by 319
Abstract
Background/Objectives: The 2-minute walk test (2MWT) is a time-based gait assessment commonly employed for populations with limited walking ability for greater tolerability compared to the longer 6-minute test. The recommended distance to perform the tests is a 30 m straight path, a space [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: The 2-minute walk test (2MWT) is a time-based gait assessment commonly employed for populations with limited walking ability for greater tolerability compared to the longer 6-minute test. The recommended distance to perform the tests is a 30 m straight path, a space requirement that is not always available in non-laboratory contexts. Shorter paths are therefore often adopted, but associated changes in gait patterns are not clear. The aim of the study is therefore to investigate how different walking path lengths affect gait patterns during the 2MWT. Methods: Twenty healthy young adults performed three walking trials on a straight hallway of 5 m, 15 m, and 30 m lengths. Spatiotemporal gait parameters were measured using three inertial measurement units on both distal tibiae and at pelvis level. Results: The 5 m path showed the greatest deviations, specifically in walking distance, walking speed, stride duration, stance time, swing time, single support time, and cadence, if compared to longer distances (p < 0.05). The 15 m path showed differences only in walking distance and walking speed (p < 0.05), if compared to the 30 m path. Conclusions: Shorter path lengths, particularly the 5 m, significantly impact gait patterns and should be considered when interpreting 2MWT results in clinical settings. The 30 m path is recommended as the gold standard, with 15 m as a viable alternative for assessing temporal parameters. Nevertheless, the extent to which each feature would be over/underestimated when walking in limited spaces is also addressed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gait and Balance Control in Typical and Special Individuals: Second Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research

9 pages, 1024 KB  
Brief Report
Increased Hip-Flexion Gait as an Exercise Modality for the Reduction of Knee Joint Contact Forces: A Preliminary Investigation
by Tanner Thorsen and Nuno Oliveira
Biomechanics 2025, 5(3), 66; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomechanics5030066 - 2 Sep 2025
Viewed by 778
Abstract
Background: Increased hip-flexion gait (HFgait) has been shown to promote increased aerobic demands by increasing peak swing-phase hip-flexion angles while walking at comfortable speeds. Biomechanically, HFgait produces a gait pattern similar to walking, while removing the flight phase from running and reducing [...] Read more.
Background: Increased hip-flexion gait (HFgait) has been shown to promote increased aerobic demands by increasing peak swing-phase hip-flexion angles while walking at comfortable speeds. Biomechanically, HFgait produces a gait pattern similar to walking, while removing the flight phase from running and reducing tibial accelerations. We sought to identify knee joint contact forces between HFgait and common exercise modalities, including running, walking, and cycling, across intensity levels. Methods: Ten healthy participants completed two bouts (low and high intensity) of four different exercises: treadmill running, walking, HFgait, and cycling. Tibiofemoral joint compressive force (TCF) was estimated using a static optimization-based approach. Results: Peak TCF was greater in running compared to HFgait, walking, and cycling; greater in HFgait compared to cycling; and greater in walking compared to cycling. The integral of TCF (iTCF) was greater in running compared to cycling, greater in HFgait compared to running, walking, and cycling, and greater in walking compared to running and cycling. Conclusions: HFgait produced lower knee joint loading than running, comparable joint loading to walking, and greater joint loading than cycling. Thus, HFgait may serve as an exercise modality for populations where joint loading is of particular concern, while achieving aerobic demands similar to running or increased functional demands compared to stationary cycling. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gait and Balance Control in Typical and Special Individuals: Second Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop