Fig. 3.

In vivo assessment of active ambulatory function. Normalized spatiotemporal parameters, including stride length (A) and step speed (B) were not different between groups at 3 or 6 wk postinjury. At 3 wk postinjury, normalized vertical (C), propulsion (D), and lateral (F) ground reaction forces were not different between males and females but were relatively lower in OVX (vertical: −11.2% vs. female, P < 0.001; propulsion: −17.4% vs. female, P = 0.082 [trend]; lateral: −28.2% vs. female, P = 0.012). By 6 wk, vertical and propulsion forces returned to preinjury values for all groups, despite a persistent OVX-related difference in vertical force (−11.6% in OVX vs. female, P = 0.003). Braking (E) force was unaffected by injury. In contrast, lateral (F) force at 6 wk was relatively greater than preinjury values in females (+46.6% vs. preinjury, P = 0.001) and OVX (+36.4% vs. preinjury, P = 0.005), but not in males. “Pre” indicates preinjury values. Solid lines indicate significant differences (P < 0.05); dashed lines indicate trends (P < 0.10). #Significant differences from preinjury (P < 0.05); *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001. All P values have been corrected for multiple comparisons. Error bars indicate standard deviation.