Modulation of ankle stiffness during postural sway

Ankle stiffness is a nonlinear, time-varying system which contributes to the control of human upright stance. This study sought to examine the nature of the contribution of stiffness to postural control by determining how intrinsic and reflex stiffnesses varied with sway. Subjects were instructed to stand quietly on a bilateral electro-hydraulic actuator while perturbations were applied about the ankle. Subjects performed three types of trials: normal stance, forward lean, and backward lean. Position, torque, and EMGs from the tibialis anterior and triceps surae were recorded. Background torque, intrinsic stiffness and reflex stiffness were calculated for each perturbation. Intrinsic and reflex stiffnesses were heavily modulated by postural sway. Moreover, they were modulated in a complimentary manner; intrinsic stiffness was lowest when reflex gain was highest, and vice versa. These findings suggest that intrinsic stiffness is modulated simultaneously with reflex stiffness to optimize the control of balance.