Article

Spinal cord injury patients walk with a flexed trunk when using
reciprocating gait orthoses. Reduction of trunk flexion during ambulation may
produce an improvement in gait parameters for reciprocating gait orthosis users.
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect on kinematics and temporal-spatial
parameters when spinal cord injury patients ambulate with an advanced
reciprocating gait orthosis while wearing a thoracolumbosacral orthosis to provide trunk extension. STUDY DESIGN: Comparative study between before and after
use o thoracolumbosacral orthosis with the advanced reciprocating gait orthoses.
METHODS: Four patients with spinal cord injury were fitted with an advanced
reciprocating gait orthosis and also wore a thoracolumbosacral orthosis. Patients
walked along a flat walkway either with or without the thoracolumbosacral
orthosis at their self-selected walking speed. Temporal-spatial parameters and
lower limb kinematics were analyzed. RESULTS: Mean walking speed, step length,
and cadence all improved when walking with the thoracolumbosacral orthosis donned
compared to the trunk support offered by the advanced reciprocating gait
orthosis. Hip and ankle joint ranges of motion were significantly increased when
wearing the thoracolumbosacral orthosis during ambulation. CONCLUSION: Using an
advanced reciprocating gait orthosis when wearing a thoracolumbosacral orthosis
can improve walking speed and the step length of walking as compared with walking
with an advanced reciprocating gait orthosis, probably due to the extended position of the trunk. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Donning the thoracolumbosacral
orthosis produced a relatively extended trunk position in the advanced
reciprocating gait orthosis for all the patients included in the study, which
resulted in improved gait parameters.
CI - (c) The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics 2014.

Langue : ANGLAIS