Article

We investigated the effects of reduction in plantar skin temperature on gait.
Thirty-four healthy subjects (20 men and 14 women; mean age 22.2+/-2.5 years;
mean height 166.8+/-8.3cm) walked 16m under two different conditions - normal
conditions (NC) with the skin at a basal temperature, and cold conditions (CC)
after cooling of the plantar skin to about 15 degrees C. Wireless
motion-recording sensor units were placed on the back at the level of L3 and on
both heels to measure acceleration and angular velocity. Gait velocity and mean
stride, stance and swing times were calculated. The variability of lower limb
movement was represented by the coefficients of variation (CVs) of stride, stance
and swing times, and that of trunk movement was represented by autocorrelation
coefficients (ACs) in three directions (vertical: VT; mediolateral: ML; and
anteroposterior: AP). Gait velocity was significantly lower under CC conditions
than under NC (p<0.0001). None of the temporal parameters were changed by plantar
cooling. However, all parameters of gait variability were significantly worse
under CC, and AC-VT, AC-ML, and AC-AP were significantly lower under CC than
under NC, even after adjusting for gait velocity (p=0.0005, 0.0071, and 0.0126,
respectively). Our results suggest that reducing plantar skin temperature induces
gait variability among healthy young adults. Further studies are now needed to
explore the relationship between plantar skin temperature and gait in the
elderly.
CI - Copyright (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS