Article

The aim of this study was to determine whether and how real-time
feedback of dynamic foot pressure index (DFPI) could be used to correct
toe-walking gait in spastic diplegic children with dynamic equinus. METHODS:
Thirteen spastic diplegic children with dynamic equinus were asked to wear a
monitoring device to record their ambulation during daily gait, conventional
training gait, and feedback training gait. Parameters based on their DFPI and
stride duration were compared among the three test conditions. RESULTS: The
results with feedback training were significantly better for all DFPI parameters
in comparison to patients' daily gait and showed significant improvements in DFPI
for toe-walking gait and percentage of normal gait in comparison to conventional
training methods. Moreover, stride duration under two training gaits was longer
than patient's daily gait, but there was no significant difference between the
two training gaits. CONCLUSIONS: Although the stride duration for the two
training gaits was similar, gait training with real-time feedback of DFPI did
produce noticeably superior results by increasing heel-loading impulse of
toe-walking gait and percentage of normal gait in comparison to convention
training methods. However, its effectiveness was still impacted by the motion
limitations of diplegic children. Implications for Rehabilitation The DFPI-based
gait training feedback system introduced in this study was shown to be more
effective at toe-walking gait rehabilitation training over conventional training
methods. The feedback system accomplished superior improvement in correcting
toe-walking gait, but its effectiveness in an increasing heel-loading impulse in
normal gait was still limited by the motion limitations of diplegic children.
Stride duration of normal gait and toe-walking gait was similar under
conventional and feedback gait training.

Langue : ANGLAIS