Foot-Ankle Complex: Mechanisms Underpinning its Stability and Control

行走是大多数人经常进行的一项任务，似乎毫不费力。然而，有时个人可能会失去执行这项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的过程中起着至关重要的作用。脚和脚踝是由多块骨骼、肌肉和韧带组成的极其复杂的结构，是人体中生物力学所知最少的结构(以下称为脚-脚踝复合体)。我提出的研究计划旨在提供一种机械性的理解，即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。虽然脚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脚踝复合体如何在运动任务中对整个身体的稳定做出贡献。进一步的问题是，对于某些肌肉和韧带如何在即使是最简单的运动中稳定脚踝复合体的理解仍然没有解决。我提出的研究计划旨在通过以下方式填补我们认识上的这些空白：a)从根本上了解肌肉和韧带等结构如何有助于足踝复合体的稳定；b)对影响足踝复合体稳定性的所有因素进行客观评估；以及c)创造新的方法来改善这种结构的稳定性。这项研究结合了尖端的肌电技术、肌肉骨骼建模、机器人技术、3D打印和生物反馈系统，将对什么有助于足踝复合体的稳定性进行渐进的研究，并利用这些信息来改善这种结构的稳定性。我的研究计划将推动生物力学和神经生理学研究领域的发展并使其受益，因为它将产生一个脚踝复杂稳定性的工作模型，该模型将被构建在一个流行的开源建模软件中，该软件将向加拿大和国际上的其他人类运动研究人员开放。人们对改善肌肉的平衡控制或力量越来越感兴趣，以最终提高运动过程中全身的稳定性。这项先前的工作取得了一些成功，从这项拟议的研究计划中获得的知识可以为这些协调一致的努力增添力量。在研究人员充分了解脚踝复合体如何在行走等运动任务中对整个身体的稳定做出贡献之前，必须建立这种结构的基本功能和控制。我的研究计划将提供这一至关重要的理解，为加拿大的研究人员带来更广泛的影响，并为依赖脚踝复合体如何运作以产生稳定运动的行业带来更广泛的技术开发。

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.