Search Results (133)

Basketball requires intense movements like jumping and sudden changes in direction, increasing the risk of slips and falls due to poor shoe–court traction. Therefore, a significant demand is for good traction performance in basketball shoes, particularly in the heel region on different court surfaces, to prevent slipping. This study examined the traction performance of fifteen common basketball shoe designs that were considered and developed using thermoplastic polyurethane to assess the available coefficient of friction (ACOF) on popular floorings (hardwood, synthetic, and polyurethane) under dry and wet conditions using a robotic slip tester. Results indicate that the hardwood flooring provided better traction, followed by the synthetic flooring, while the polyurethane flooring showed reduced friction. The study also examined the traction with apparent contact areas. Shoes with herringbone and circular tread patterns demonstrated the highest traction on all flooring in dry conditions. This research is anticipated to help basketball shoemakers choose safer shoes for player safety and performance, providing a foundation for future research on shoe flooring interaction in basketball. Full article

Background: Current methods of postural control assessments and interventions to improve postural stability and thereby prevent falls often fail to incorporate the hazardous perturbation situations that frequently accompany falls. Virtual environments can safely incorporate these hazards. The purpose of the study was to identify if virtual slip and trip perturbations can be used as an exposure paradigm in place of real slip and trip perturbations to improve postural control. Methods: Fifteen healthy young adults were included in this study. Two paradigms, real gait exposure (real) and virtual environment gait exposure (virtual), consisting of real and virtual slip and trip trials, were performed by each participant in a counterbalanced order to avoid order effects. At baseline and following real and virtual paradigms, the modified clinical test for sensory integration and balance (mCTSIB), limits of stability (LOS), and single-leg stance (SLS) using BTracks balance plate were administered. Separate one-way (baseline vs. Real vs. Virtual) repeated measures analysis of variance were conducted on response variables. Results: In the posterior left quadrant of the LOS, significant differences were found after the real paradigm compared to baseline (p = 0.04). For the anterior left quadrant and total LOS, significant differences post real paradigm (p = 0.002 and p < 0.001) and virtual paradigm (p = 0.007 and p < 0.001) compared to baseline were observed. For the SLS, the left-leg significant differences were observed post real paradigm (p = 0.019) and virtual paradigm (p = 0.009) compared to BL in path length, while significant main effects were found for mean sway velocity for the left leg only (p = 0.004). For the right leg, significant differences were only observed after the virtual paradigm (p = 0.01) compared to BL. Conclusions: Both virtual and real paradigms were identified to improve postural control. The virtual paradigm led to increased postural control in the right-leg SLS condition, while the real paradigm did not, without any adverse effects. Findings suggest virtual reality perturbation exposure acutely improves postural control ability compared to baseline among healthy young adults. Full article

Background: Biomechanical and neuromuscular differences between falls and recoveries have been well-studied; however, the cortical correlations remain unclear. Using mobile brain imaging via electroencephalography (EEG), we examined differences in sensorimotor beta frequencies between falls and recoveries during an unpredicted slip in walking. Methods: We recruited 22 young adults (15 female; 18–35 years) who experienced a slip (65 cm) during walking. Raw EEG signals were band-pass filtered, and independent component analysis was performed to remove non-neural sources, eventually three participants were excluded due to excessive artifacts. Peak beta power was extracted from three time-bins: 400 milliseconds pre-, 0–150 milliseconds post and 150–300 milliseconds post-perturbation from the midline (Cz) electrode. A 2 × 3 Analysis of Covariance assessed the interaction between time-bins and group on beta power, followed by Independent and Paired t-tests for between and within-group post hoc comparisons. Results: All participants (n = 19) experienced a balance loss, seven experienced a fall. There was a time × group interaction on beta power (p < 0.05). With no group differences pre-perturbation, participants who experienced a fall exhibited higher beta power during 0–150 milliseconds post-perturbation than those who recovered (p < 0.001). However, there were no group differences in beta power during 150–300 milliseconds post-perturbation. Conclusions: Young adults exhibiting a greater increase in beta power during the early post-perturbation period experienced a fall, suggesting a higher cortical error detection due to a larger mismatch in the expected and ongoing postural state and greater cortical dependence for sensorimotor processing. Our study results provide an overview of the possible cortical governance to modulate slip-fall/recovery outcomes. Full article

Older adults make up about 12% of the public sector, primary care, and hospital use and represent a large proportion of the users of healthcare services. Older people are also more vulnerable to serious injury from unexpected falls due to tripping, slipping, or illness. This underscores the immediate necessity of stable and cost-effective e-health technologies in maintaining independent living. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) offer promising solutions for early fall prediction and continuous health monitoring. This paper introduces a novel cooperative AI model that forecasts the risk of future falls in the elderly based on behavioral and health abnormalities. Two AI models’ predictions are combined to produce accurate predictions: The ${AI}_1$ model is based on vital signs using Fuzzy Logic, and the ${AI}_2$ model is based on Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) using a Deep Belief Network (DBN). A meta-model then combines the outputs to generate a total fall risk prediction. The results show 85.71% sensitivity, 100% specificity, and 90.00% prediction accuracy when compared to the Morse Falls Scale (MFS). This emphasizes how deep learning-based cooperative systems can improve well-being for older adults living alone, facilitate more precise fall risk assessment, and improve preventive care. Full article

Forestry is recognized as one of the most physically demanding professions. Walking in presents unique biomechanical challenges due to complex, irregular terrain, with several possible risks. This study investigated how human gait adapts across solid surfaces, forest trails, and natural forest environments. Fifteen healthy adult participants (average age 38.3; ten males and five females) completed 150 walking trials, with full-body motion captured via a 17 Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensors (Xsens MVN Awinda system). The analysis focused on spatial and temporal gait parameters, including cadence, step length, foot strike pattern, and center of mass variability. Statistical methods (ANOVA and Kruskal–Wallis) revealed that surface type significantly influenced gait mechanics. On forest terrain, participants exhibited wider steps, reduced cadence, increased step and stride variability, and a substantial shift from heel-to-toe strikes. Gait adaptations reflect compensatory neuromuscular strategies to maintain body balance. The findings confirm that forestry terrain complexity compromises human gait stability and increases physical demands, supporting step variability and slip, trip, and fall risk. By identifying key biomechanical markers of instability, this study contributes to understanding human locomotion principles. Understanding these changes can help design safety measures for outdoor professions, particularly forestry. Full article

Background/Objectives: Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is a common adolescent hip disorder characterized by the posterior and inferior slippage of the femoral head through the growth plate. This study aimed to assess seasonal trends in the incidence of SCFE above 40° N latitude using cosinor regression analysis. Methods: A systematic review was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and registration in Prospero. A keyword search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Ovid was conducted using terms related to SCFE and seasonal or monthly variation. Studies were included if they reported month-by-month SCFE incidence in pediatric populations. Studies were excluded if they had duplicated population cohorts. Data from studies conducted above 40° N were extracted for cosinor regression analysis. Quality assessment was performed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Studies Reporting Prevalence Data. Results: A total of seventeen studies were included, amassing a total of 21,428 children analyzed. Six investigations reported monthly incidence data for populations > 40° N. The highest pooled monthly incidence was observed in August (482 cases). Alternatively, February was the month with the lowest SCFE incidence (293). Cosinor regression analysis demonstrated that SCFE occurs more frequently during early summer and fall months (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: SCFE incidence follows a significant seasonal trend in higher-latitude (>40° N) populations, with a consistent late-summer peak. Recognizing seasonal variation patterns may inform early diagnosis and intervention in SCFE, improving outcomes in pediatric physeal injuries. Full article

Maintenance of the exteriors of buildings with convex façades, such as skyscrapers, is in high demand in urban centers. However, manual maintenance is inherently dangerous due to the possibility of accidental falls. Therefore, research has been conducted on cleaning robots as a replacement for human workers, e.g., the dual ascension robot (DAR), which is an underactuated rope-driven robot, and the rope-riding mobile anchor (RMA), which is a rope-riding robot. These robots are equipped with a convex-façade-cleaning system. The DAR and RMA are connected to each other by a rope that enables vibration transmission between them. It also increases the instability of the residual vibration that occurs during the operation of the DAR. This study focused on reducing the residual vibrations of a DAR to improve the stability of the overall system. Because it is a rope-on-rope (ROR) system, we assumed it to be a simplified serial spring–damper system and analyzed its kinematics and dynamics. An input-shaping technique was applied to control the residual vibrations in the DAR. We also applied a disturbance observer to mitigate factors contributing to the system uncertainty, such as rope deformation, slip, and external forces. We experimentally validated the system and assessed the effectiveness of the control method, which consisted of the input shaper and disturbance observer. Consequently, the residual vibrations were reduced. Full article

Background/Objectives: Traditional fusion leads to a loss of spine mobility across the fused vertebrae. Vertebral body tethering (VBT) was developed with the goal of increasing flexibility and maintaining some spinal mobility. However, it is not known if the additional mobility leads to significant functional improvement. This prospective motion analysis study evaluates functional outcomes, specifically gait stability, in pre-operative, post-fusion, and post-VBT patients by using postural perturbations on a treadmill. Methods: Overall, 79 subjects underwent a computer-controlled treadmill study with postural perturbations, which simulated trips and slips. The subjects were harnessed for safety. Overall, 21 subjects were healthy controls, 18 patients were at least one-year post-VBT, 15 patients were at least one-year post-fusion, and 25 were pre-operative scoliosis patients. Subject weight, height, and treadmill acceleration were recorded and used to determine anteroposterior single (ASSTs, PSSTs) and multiple (AMSTs, PMSTs) stepping thresholds to describe the maximum torque a patient could withstand before failing to recover from the simulated trip. Independent t-tests were run to compare groups under the advice of a master statistician with expertise in orthopedic surgery. Results: Pre-operative scoliosis patients had lower PSSTs than healthy controls (uncorrected p = 0.036). No significant differences were observed between pre-operative and post-operative groups for both fusion and VBT. There was no significant difference in ASST, AMST, or PMST between any of the groups. Conclusions: The lower PSST in pre-operative scoliosis patients compared to healthy controls may reflect impaired reactive balance and potentially increased fall risk. Interestingly, there was no significant difference in reactive balance measures between pre-operative and post-operative scoliosis patients or between post-fusion and post-VBT patients. Full article

Slips, trips, and falls (STFs) are a major occupational hazard that contributes significantly to workplace injuries and the associated financial costs. The application of traditional fall detection techniques in the real world is limited because they are usually based on simulated falls. By using kinematic data from real near-fall incidents that occurred in physically demanding work environments, this study overcomes this limitation and improves the ecological validity of fall detection algorithms. This study systematically tests several machine-learning architectures for near-fall detection using the Prev-Fall dataset, which consists of high-resolution inertial measurement unit (IMU) data from 110 workers. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs), residual networks (ResNets), convolutional long short-term memory networks (convLSTMs), and InceptionTime models were trained and evaluated over a range of temporal window lengths using a neural architecture search. High-validation F1 scores were achieved by the best-performing models, particularly CNNs and InceptionTime, indicating their effectiveness in near-fall classification. The need for more contextual variables to increase robustness was highlighted by recurrent false positives found in subsequent tests on previously unobserved occupational data, especially during biomechanically demanding activities such as bending and squatting. Nevertheless, our findings suggest the applicability of machine-learning-based STF prevention systems for workplace safety monitoring and, more generally, applications in fall mitigation. To further improve the accuracy and generalizability of the system, future research should investigate multimodal data integration and improved classification techniques. Full article

Lower limb fatigue reduces muscle strength, alters joint biomechanics, affects gait, and increases injury risk. In addition, it is of great clinical significance to explore local muscle fatigue or weakness caused by fatigue to understand its compensatory effect on the ipsilateral or contralateral joints. We systematically searched multiple databases, including five databases, using key terms such as “Muscle Fatigue” and “Gait”. Only studies that experimentally induced fatigue through sustained muscle activities in healthy adults were included. This review examined 11 studies exploring the effects of lower limb muscle fatigue on gait and lower limb biomechanics. The findings indicated that muscle fatigue significantly influenced spatiotemporal parameters, joint angles, and moments. Most studies that were reviewed reported an increase in step width and a decrease in knee joint moments following fatigue. Additionally, muscle activation levels tended to decline. In summary, compensatory mechanisms can lead to new walking strategies, such as increasing step width or enhancing the strength of muscles in adjacent joints. These adjustments impact dynamic balance differently: wider steps may enhance medial–lateral stability, while reduced muscle strength could lead to higher heel contact velocity and longer slip distances. Although these changes might influence dynamic balance, compensatory strategies may help mitigate the overall effect of fall risk. Future studies should use appropriate protocols, such as moderate or severe fatigue interventions with isokinetic dynamometry. Full article

The Indonesian government is currently focusing on infrastructure development, including military infrastructure to strengthen national defense. One of these projects is the development of the Indonesian Army Central Hospital, which is being continually expanded with facilities such as proton beam therapy. Due to its underground construction, special attention must be given to construction safety to prevent workplace accidents. This study focuses on assessing construction safety risks at the military hospital using activity-based failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA). The research methodology employed is a mixed-method approach involving 5 construction safety experts and 100 respondents directly involved in underground structure construction. Descriptive data analysis was conducted, serving as the basis for calculating risk priority numbers (RPN) using the FMEA method. Three main activities were identified with very high risks ranked from 1 to 10: lifting of contiguous pile casing, basement excavation, and installation of cast in situ bored pile gutter. These activities entail safety risks with RPN values ranging from 100 to 125, including worker’s hands being caught in tools/materials, being struck by tools/materials, falling/slipping into excavations, and being buried/struck by excavated soil. This research has positive implications as a reference for developing construction safety plans that include risk identification, risk assessment, and determination of control measures. Full article

Slips and fall-related accidents cause a significant number of injuries in hospitals. Due to constant movement of doctors and nurses across different departments in hospitals such as OPD, trauma centres, and ICUs, there are possible interactions of their footwear with slippery floorings (e.g., wet or with soap suds), which may cause unexpected slips. To date, there is a lack of understanding on the traction of different footwear worn by hospital staff. This impedes the selection of appropriate floorings and footwear for preventing slips and falls in hospitals. In this work, the traction performances of twelve common footwear designs, worn by hospital staff, were tested on three different floorings at important locations, i.e., an outpatient department, trauma centre, and ICU entrance, at a busy public hospital. Oblique tread patterns are recommended for moderately rough floors under dry and Lizol conditions. Horizontally oriented patterns are better for smoother floors in dry conditions, while vertically oriented patterns are ideal for areas with frequent contaminant exposure. No specific recommendation can be made for soap-contaminated floors due to the contaminant’s high viscosity. The results also indicated the strong influence of flooring roughness on the measured traction, over footwear tread parameters. Also, liquid soaps were observed to significantly reduce footwear–floor traction. The findings are anticipated to be valuable to hospital management for the selection of appropriate high-traction floorings, and provide important guidelines for footwear selection, for the mitigation of slips and falls in hospitals. Full article

Dementia’s escalating incidence, coupled with its economic burden, highlights the need for architectural designs and forms that benefit people living with dementia. This research explores strategies and design principles that focus on establishing supportive spaces for the prolonged autonomy, well-being, and safety of dementia patients. Contemporary research emphasizes the implementation of effective navigational techniques, via visual cues, familiar landmarks, and simplified layouts. For greater navigational signage, the intentional use of contrasting colors, textures, and lighting are recommended to demarcate functional areas within a structure. Incorporating familiar objects in personalized areas enhances treatment outcomes, e.g., reminiscence therapy leverages familiar objects, environmental cues, scents, sounds, and tactile features to trigger and retain memory. Integrating safety precautions such as slip-resistant flooring, handrails, and accessible bathrooms helps mitigate falls for the cognitively impaired. From a therapeutic perspective, this study draws attention towards incorporating gardens and outdoor spaces, which offers sensory stimulation, encourages physical activity, and fosters social engagement. Additionally, the integration of scents, sounds, and tactile features enriches the sensory experience for individuals with dementia. Through comprehensive consideration of design elements, this research highlights how intentionally crafted, dementia-friendly environments can convert spaces into empowering therapeutic settings tailored to address the unique need of this vulnerable group. This architectural approach acts as a valuable complement to the medical and therapeutic interventions in the treatment and care of people living with dementia and their families. Full article

In order to explore the influence of different layer treatment methods on the macro- and meso-mechanical properties of cemented sand and gravel (CSG), in this paper, the shear behavior of CSG material was simulated by a three-dimensional particle flow program (PFC3D) based on the results of direct shear test in the laboratory. In shear tests, untreated CSG samples with interface coating mortar and chiseling were used, and granular discrete element software (PDC3D 7.0) was used to establish mesoscopic numerical models of CSG samples with the above three interface treatment methods, in order to reveal the effects of interface treatment methods on the interface strength and damage mechanism of CSG samples. The results show that, with the increase in normal stress, the amount of aggregate falling off the shear failure surface increases, the bump and undulation are more obvious, and the failure mode of the test block is inferred to be extrusion friction failure. The shear strength of the mortar interface is 40% higher than that of the untreated interface, and the failure surface is smooth and flat under different normal stresses. The shear strength of the chiseled interface is 10% higher than that of the untreated interface, and the failure surface fluctuates significantly under different normal stresses. Through the analysis of the fracture evolution process in the numerical simulation, it is found that the fracture of the sample at the mortar interface mainly expands along the mortar–aggregate interface and the damage mode is shear slip. However, the cracks of the samples at the gouged interface are concentrated on the upper and lower sides of the interface, and the damage mode is tension–shear. The failure mode of the samples without surface treatment is mainly tensile and shear failure, and the failure mode gradually changes to extrusion friction failure. Full article

Background: Advances in prosthetic technology, especially microprocessor-controlled knees (MPKs), have helped enhance gait symmetry and reduce fall risks for individuals who have undergone transfemoral amputation. However, challenges remain in walking in constrained situations due to the limitations of passive prosthetic feet, lacking ankle mobility. This study investigates the benefits of SYNSYS^®, a new microprocessor-controlled knee–ankle–foot system (MPKA_NEW), designed to synergize knee and ankle movements. Methods: A randomized crossover trial was conducted on 12 male participants who had undergone transfemoral amputation who tested both the MPKA_NEW and their usual MPK prosthesis. Biomechanical parameters were evaluated using quantitative gait analysis in various walking conditions. Participants also completed self-reported questionnaires on their quality of life, locomotor abilities, and prosthesis satisfaction. Results: The MPKA_NEW showed a significant reduction in the risk of slipping and tripping compared to standard MPK prostheses, as evidenced by increased flat-foot time and minimum toe clearance during gait analysis. The MPKA_NEW also improved physical component scores in quality-of-life assessments (Short-Form 36 General Health Questionnaire), suggesting enhanced stability and reduced cognitive load during walking. Conclusions: The MPKA_NEW offers significant improvements in gait safety and quality of life for people who have undergone TFA, particularly in challenging conditions. Further studies are needed to assess the long-term benefits and adaptability across diverse amputee populations. Full article