Article

The difficulties confronted by amputees during overground
walking are rarely investigated. In this study, we evaluated,
in real-world situations, the influence of ground surface on
walking in young, active amputees by measuring temporal and
spatial gait parameters (free walking speed [FWS], step length
[SL], step rate), energy expenditure (EE) (e.g., oxygen uptake,
oxygen cost [O2C]), and Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE).
Ten active transtibial amputees and ten nondisabled control subjects
walked at self-selected speeds on three types of ground surface
(asphalt, mown lawn, and high grass). No significant
differences were observed between the two groups on asphalt
and mown lawn. Differences between nondisabled subjects and
amputees occurred for FWS (p = 0.03) and O2C (p = 0.04)
on asphalt and mown lawn and for all variables in high grass.
When amputees (even though very active) were exposed to a
particularly difficult environment, their FWS decreased (p =
0.008) and their EE and RPE increased (p = 0.005) compared
with nondisabled subjects. In high grass, both groups reduced
their self-selected speeds (­15% for control subjects and ­16%
for amputees). Control subjects reduced their velocity by reducing
both SL (­8.7%) and cadence (­7.1%), whereas amputees
reduced their velocity by reducing SL (­17%) only.

Langue : ANGLAIS