Regulation of foot and ankle quasi-stiffness during human hopping across a range of frequencies

Human legs operate like springs with adjustable stiffness during locomotion, improving movement economy and versatility. The potential for the foot to contribute to this spring-like mechanism has been established. However, due to previous modelling approaches assuming a rigid-foot segment, it is unknown if ankle and foot quasi-stiffness can be actively regulated, quasi-stiffness being a measure of joint deformation under an applied load. In this study, we sought to determine if midfoot quasi-stiffness was increased in a similar manner as the ankle with increasing load demands, and if these changes were mediated by increased activation of the intrinsic foot muscles. We also quantified differences in measures of ankle joint quasi-stiffness attributable to the modelling assumption of a rigid-foot segment versus a multi-segment foot. Twenty-two healthy individuals performed a single-leg hopping task at three frequencies (2.0 Hz, 2.3 Hz, and 2.6 Hz) while measuring lower limb kinematics, kinetics and muscle activation (EMG). Kinetics and kinematics were calculated at the midfoot and using two different ankle models: rigid-foot model (shank-foot) and an anatomical ankle (shank-calcaneus). Midfoot quasi-stiffness increased with hopping-frequency (p < 0.05), while contact phase intrinsic foot muscle activation decreased (p < 0.05). The assumption of a rigid-foot model overestimated ankle ROM by ∼10° and underestimated ankle quasi-stiffness by 45-60%. This study demonstrates that midfoot quasi-stiffness increases with hopping-frequency; however, the mechanism for these changes remains unclear. Furthermore, this study demonstrates the need to assess the ankle and foot independently, using appropriate models, to avoid significant inaccuracies in basic ankle kinematic and kinetic outputs, such as range of motion and joint quasi-stiffness.