Laboratory Analysis of Backpack Design and Walking Gradient Effects on Gait Kinetics and Kinematics.

BACKGROUND: Heavy backpacks are carried by hikers during prolonged trekking trips. A backpack's design could impact a hiker's gait kinematics and kinetics. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess the impact of backpack designs on lumbar extension (LE) and centre of pressure (COP) during walking. METHODS: Participants (n = 8; age = 23 ± 2) attended testing sessions to assess a traditional backpack (TBP) and a balance backpack (BBP) against no backpack (NBP) control while walking on three gradients (flat, 0°; incline, 12°; decline, -12°). Walking tests were conducted on a force plate-embedded treadmill with a motion capture system. Statistical tests assessed the effect of a backpack on LE and COP during carriage. Dunnett's multiple comparison post hoc test identified significant main effects (5% significance). RESULTS: The observed differences in an individual's LE and COP across all three gradients were statistically (a = 0.05) significantly less when using a BBP compared to a TBP. CONCLUSION: Comparative analysis revealed that the BBP's anterior-posterior loading system closely replicated the gait pattern of unloaded walking across the observed gradients. These findings suggest that hikers using a BBP may exhibit a gait resembling unloaded gait in comparison to a TBP gait.