Amplified trunk-head contribution to whole-body angular momentum under perturbed conditions

The study’s objective was to establish whether and how the contributions of different body segments to whole-body angular momentum are modulated during unperturbed level walking, unpredictable and adapted drop-like perturbations and hole negotiation gait. Whole-body kinematics were recorded for 18 participants using an infrared motion capture system (250 Hz) and segmental and whole-body angular momentum were calculated in the sagittal, frontal, and transverse planes across three consecutive steps: preparation, perturbation, and recovery. Compared to level walking, trunk-head segment contributions significantly increased (p