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Clinical Assessment of Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters in Patients and Older Adults
Published on: November 7, 2014
A portable gait assessment tool to record temporal gait parameters in SCI
S S Galen1, C J Clarke, D B Allan
1Bioengineering Unit, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK. sujay.galen@strath.ac.uk
Medical Engineering & Physics
|February 4, 2011
Summary
A portable gait assessment tool accurately measured changes in walking ability for individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury (ISCI) during robot-assisted training, showing significant improvements early on.
Area of Science:
- Rehabilitation Engineering
- Biomechanics
- Clinical Gait Analysis
Background:
- Clinical gait analysis faces challenges in time, space, and cost.
- A portable gait assessment tool using instrumented insoles was developed.
- This tool aims to objectively assess temporal gait parameters.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate a portable gait assessment tool.
- To measure changes in walking ability in incomplete spinal cord injury (ISCI) subjects.
- To assess the effectiveness of robot-assisted gait training.
Main Methods:
- Eighteen ISCI subjects (acute and chronic) participated.
- Subjects underwent a 6-week robot-assisted gait training program.
- Gait assessment tool used before, during, and after intervention.
Main Results:
- The gait tool demonstrated higher sensitivity to gait changes than clinical measures like the Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury (WISCI II).
- Acute ISCI subjects showed significant temporal gait parameter changes within 3 weeks of training (p<0.05).
Conclusions:
- The gait assessment tool effectively measures and quantifies gait changes in ISCI patients within a clinical setting.
- Significant early changes suggest robotic training can be effective in a short period for acute ISCI.
- This study is the first to use this tool in an ISCI population.
