Interjoint dynamic interaction during constrained human quiet standing examined by induced acceleration analysis

Recent studies have demonstrated that human quiet standing is a multijoint movement, whereby the central nervous system (CNS) is required to deal with dynamic interactions among the joints to achieve optimal motor performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate how the CNS deals with such interjoint interaction during quiet standing by examining the relationship between the kinetics (torque) and kinematics (angular acceleration) within the multi-degree of freedom system. We modeled quiet standing as a double-link inverted pendulum involving both ankle and hip joints and conducted an "induced acceleration analysis." We found that the net ankle and hip torques induced angular accelerations of comparable magnitudes to the ankle (3.8 ± 1.4°/s(2) and 3.3 ± 1.2°/s(2)) and hip (9.1 ± 3.2°/s(2) and 10.5 ± 3.5°/s(2)) joints, respectively. Angular accelerations induced by the net ankle and hip torques were modulated in a temporally antiphase pattern to one another in each of the two joints. These quantitative and temporal relationships allowed the angular accelerations induced by the two net torques to countercompensate one another, thereby substantially (∼70%) reducing the resultant angular accelerations of the individual joints. These results suggest that, by taking advantage of the interjoint interaction, the CNS prevents the net torques from producing large amplitudes of the resultant angular accelerations when combined with the kinematic effects of all other torques in the chain.