Figure 3.

Foot loading characteristics. (A) Example of maximal plantar pressure distribution and corresponding limb loading in one neonate across six consecutive steps. (B) Example of maximal plantar pressure distribution pattern and CoP displacement during one stride (with the initial heel contact) and the parameters calculated: vertical foot loading force, footprint length and width, CoP excursion and the timing of its minimum peak during stance. (C) CoP_x excursion and the timing of the min CoP_x peak (mean+SD, all strides with a specific initial foot contact were pooled together). CoP_x for each child was normalized to the maximum footprint length across all steps. (D) Vertical foot loading force and its characteristics (mean, maximum the timing of the maximum force, and percent of body weight support BWS). Black thick curves correspond to the ensemble-averaged (across all steps in all neonates) waveforms vs. normalized stance. Asterisks denote significant differences. Note a generally bell-shaped trajectory of the vertical foot loading with a peak in midstance (A,D).