Date of Award
5-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Bioengineering
Committee Chair/Advisor
Reed Gurchiek
Committee Member
John DesJardins
Committee Member
Melinda Harman
Abstract
Persistent gait asymmetry following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is a recognized contributor to post-traumatic knee osteoarthritis, yet the independent role of pain in driving altered movement patterns remains poorly understood due to confounding factors inherent to clinical populations. This study used exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) as a controlled experimental model to isolate the effects of musculoskeletal pain on gait, independent of kinesiophobia, structural damage, and proprioceptive disruption. Eighteen healthy adults underwent unilateral eccentric calf-raise protocols to induce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), with gait assessed at baseline, 48 hours, and 168 hours post-exercise using bilateral inertial measurement units. Outcomes included self-selected and fixed-cadence gait speed, duty factor (DF) asymmetry, and shank angular velocity asymmetry. DOMS was successfully induced, confirmed by significant reductions in ankle range of motion and elevated palpation sensitivity at 48 hours. Despite this, gait speed and spatiotemporal control were preserved across all conditions. However, DF asymmetry was significantly reduced on the affected limb at peak DOMS, indicating a subtle but measurable shift in between-limb loading distribution. Kinesiophobia scores remained low, supporting a pain-specific rather than fear-driven explanation for the observed adaptation. These findings suggest that isolated, localized pain is sufficient to alter limb loading during walking without disrupting global gait organization, with implications for pain management strategies in ACLR rehabilitation.
Recommended Citation
Savage, Sydney, "Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage as a Model for Exploring the Effects of Pain on Gait" (2026). All Theses. 4760.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/4760