{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]],"date-time":"2026-06-02T04:15:42Z","timestamp":1780373742225,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":52,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,6]],"date-time":"2025-09-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1757116800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"the General Project of Education, National Social Science Foundation of China","award":["BLA230108"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["BLA230108"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study used stair-embedded force plates to investigate the effects of lower-limb muscle fatigue on dynamic postural control during stair descent in young adults. Twenty-five healthy male adults (age = 19.2 \u00b1 1.5 years) were tested for stair descent gait in pre-fatigue and post-fatigue conditions. To induce fatigue, participants performed a sit-to-stand task. The kinematic and kinetic data were collected synchronously, and gait parameters were analyzed. Data were analyzed using one-dimensional statistical parametric mapping (SPM1d) and paired t-tests in SPSS. After fatigue, the right knee flexion angle increased significantly across all phases (0\u201314%, p &lt; 0.001; 14\u201319%, p = 0.032; 42\u201350%, p = 0.023; 60\u201365%, p = 0.022; 80\u2013100%, p = 0.012). Additionally, the step width widened notably (p &lt; 0.001), while the proportion of the swing phase decreased (p = 0.030). During the event of right-foot release, the left knee flexion (p = 0.005) and ankle dorsiflexion (p = 0.001) angle increased significantly, along with a larger left ankle plantarflexion moment (p = 0.032). After fatigue, the margin of stability in the anterior\u2013posterior direction (MoS-AP) (p = 0.002, p = 0.014) and required coefficient of friction (RCOF) (p = 0.031, p = 0.021) significantly increased at the left-foot release and right-foot release moments. This study demonstrates that lower-limb muscle fatigue increases dynamic instability during stair descent. Participants adopted compensatory strategies, including widening step width, reducing single-support duration, and enhancing ankle plantarflexion to offset knee strength deficits. These adaptations likely reflect central nervous system mechanisms prioritizing stability, highlighting the ankle\u2019s compensatory role as a potential target for joint-specific interventions in fall prevention and rehabilitation. Future studies should investigate diverse populations, varying fatigue levels, and comprehensive neuromuscular indicators.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s25175570","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,8]],"date-time":"2025-09-08T11:51:12Z","timestamp":1757332272000},"page":"5570","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Impact of Lower-Limb Muscle Fatigue on Dynamic Postural Control During Stair Descent: A Study Using Stair-Embedded Force Plates"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"25","author":[{"given":"Liangsen","family":"Wang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Physical Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi\u2019an 710119, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wenyue","family":"Ma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Physical Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi\u2019an 710119, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6660-6350","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wenfei","family":"Zhu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Physical Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi\u2019an 710119, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Qian","family":"Xie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Physical Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi\u2019an 710119, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9071-7379","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yuliang","family":"Sun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Physical Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi\u2019an 710119, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"155","DOI":"10.1016\/S0003-6870(00)00052-1","article-title":"Slip, Trip and Fall Accidents: Relationship to Building Features and Use of Coroners\u2019 Reports in Ascribing Cause","volume":"32","author":"Cayless","year":"2001","journal-title":"Appl. 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