Walking more safely by increasing swing phase ankle dorsiflexion

Trips occur when the foot strikes an obstacle during the swing phase of the gait cycle. The critical biomechanical variable associated with tripping risk is Minimum Foot Clearance (MFC). The pattern of toe trajectory in sagittal plane can be changed using different strategies to lift the foot which affect MFC height and timing. In this study, a real-time biofeedback technique was employed to observe effects of ankle-only and no-ankle strategies on swing toe trajectory. The results showed that the ankle-only strategy can make the gait safer by eliminating the MFC event.