Foot-Ankle Complex: Mechanisms Underpinning its Stability and Control

行走是大多数人经常执行的任务，看起来毫不费力。然而，有时候，个人可能会失去执行这个看似简单的任务的功能。脚和脚踝在我们如何与地面互动以行走和稳定我们的身体以保持直立方面起着至关重要的作用。足部和踝部是由多个骨骼、肌肉和韧带组成的非常复杂的结构，并且是人体中生物力学理解最少的结构（下文称为足部-踝部复合体）。我提出的研究计划旨在提供一个机械的理解，当人类执行看似简单的任务，如行走时，脚踝复合体如何有助于整个身体的稳定性。 虽然足踝复合体对于稳定的运动是必不可少的，但我们目前还没有全面了解足踝复合体在运动任务中如何有助于整个身体的稳定。此外，对于某些肌肉和韧带如何在最简单的运动中稳定踝足复合体的理解仍然没有得到解决。我提出的研究计划旨在通过以下方式填补我们理解中的这些空白：a）从根本上了解肌肉和韧带等结构如何有助于稳定足踝复合体; B）对影响足踝复合体稳定性的所有因素进行客观评估; c）创建新方法来修改该结构的稳定性。该研究计划结合了尖端的肌电图技术、肌肉骨骼建模、机器人技术、3D打印和生物反馈系统，将对影响足踝复合体稳定性的因素进行渐进式研究，并利用这些信息来改善该结构的稳定性。 我的研究计划将推进和有利于生物力学和神经生理学研究领域，因为它将产生一个工作模型的脚踝复杂的稳定性，将建立在一个流行的开源建模软件，这将是公开提供给其他人类运动研究人员在加拿大和国际。人们对改善平衡控制或肌肉力量以最终改善运动期间的全身稳定性越来越感兴趣。这项先前的工作已经取得了一些成功，这项拟议的研究计划的知识可以增加这些协调一致的努力。在研究人员能够完全理解脚踝复合体如何在行走等运动任务中有助于整个身体的稳定之前，必须建立该结构的基本功能和控制。我的研究计划将提供至关重要的理解，导致加拿大研究人员和技术开发的行业，依赖于如何脚踝复合功能的知识，以产生稳定的运动更广泛的影响。

Walking is a task frequently performed by most humans with seemingly effortless ease. On occasion, however, individuals may lose functionality to execute this apparently simple task. The foot and ankle play an essential role in how we interact with the ground to walk and stabilize our body to remain upright. The foot and ankle are vastly complex structures consisting of multiple bones, muscles, and ligaments and are the least biomechanically understood structures in the human body (referred to as the foot-ankle complex hereafter). My proposed research program aims to provide a mechanistic understanding of how the foot-ankle complex contributes to stability of the entire body when humans perform seemingly simple tasks such as walking. Although the foot-ankle complex is essential for stable locomotion, we currently do not have a comprehensive understanding of how the foot-ankle complex contributes to stabilization of the entire body during locomotor tasks. Further to this issue is that an understanding of how certain muscles and ligaments stabilize the foot-ankle complex in even the simplest of movements remains unresolved. My proposed research program aims to fill these gaps in our understanding by: a) fundamentally understanding how structures like muscles and ligaments contribute to stabilization of the foot-ankle complex; b) developing objective assessments of all factors affecting foot-ankle complex stability; and c) creating novel methods to modify stabilization of this structure. Using a combination of cutting-edge electromyography techniques, musculoskeletal modelling, robotics, 3D printing, and biofeedback systems, this research program will perform a progressive study of what contributes to stability of the foot-ankle complex and use this information to improve stabilization of this structure. My research program will advance and benefit the biomechanics and neurophysiology research fields because it will produce a working model of foot-ankle complex stability that will be built in a popular open source modelling software, which will be openly available to other human locomotion researchers throughout Canada and internationally. There is a growing interest in improving balance control or strength of muscles to ultimately improve whole body stability during locomotion. This previous work has been met with some success and knowledge from this proposed research program can add to these concerted efforts. Before researchers can fully understand how the foot-ankle complex contributes to stabilization of the entire body during movement tasks such as walking, the rudimentary function and control of this structure must be established. My research program will provide that vital understanding, leading to broader implications for Canadian researchers and technology development for industries that rely on knowledge of how the foot-ankle complex functions to produce stable locomotion.