Article

Laboratory based gait analysis techniques are expensive, time consuming and
require technical expertise. Inertial measurement units can directly measure
temporal parameters and in combination with gait models may provide a solution to
obtain spatial gait measurements within daily clinical assessments. However it is
not known if a model and standard correction factor determined by Zijlstra and
Hof [8] to estimate step and stride length parameters in typically developed
adults (TDA) can be accurately used in neurologically impaired gaits. This
research estimated the stride length over two 10 m walks at self selected walking
speed in people with neurological conditions, using a previously established
model and correction factor for TDA. The relation of the correction factor to
walking speed was explored. We recruited TDA (n=10) and participants with
Parkinson's disease (PD; n=24), muscular dystrophy (MD; n=13), motor neuron
disease (MND; n=7) and stroke survivors (n=18) for the study who twice walked 10
m at a self-selected pace. Stride length correction factors, for TDA
(1.25+/-0.01), PD (1.25+/-0.03), and MD (1.21+/-0.08) (p=0.833 and p=0.242) were
the same as previously reported in TDA (Zijlstra and Hof [8]). Correction factors
for stroke (1.17+/-0.42) and MND (1.10+/-0.08) were different (p<0.01 and p=0.028
respectively). However there was a high level of variability for correction
factors within groups, which did not relate to walking speed. Our findings
support that correction factors should be determined for each individual to
estimate average step/stride length in patients suffering from a neurological
condition.
CI - Copyright (c) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS