Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 2, 2026
Evaluation of Patients' Posture and Gait Profile After Lumbar Fusion Surgery by Video Rasterstereography and Treadmill Gait Analysis
Published on: March 23, 2019
Three-dimensional gait analysis outcomes at 1 year following decompressive surgery for cervical spondylotic
Ailish Malone1, Dara Meldrum, Ciaran Bolger
1Gait Analysis Laboratory, Central Remedial Clinic, Clontarf, Dublin 3, Ireland, ammalone@crc.ie.
Purpose:
Gait impairment is an important feature of cervical sponydylotic myelopathy (CSM) as it can have a detrimental effect on function and quality of life. The aim of this study was to measure changes in gait in people with CSM following surgical decompression.
Methods:
Thirteen participants with clinical and radiological evidence of CSM underwent three-dimensional gait analysis, using a full lower limb kinematic, kinetic and electromyography protocol, before and 12 months after decompressive surgery.
Results:
No significant post-operative changes were detected in temporal-spatial or kinematic parameters. Kinetic data showed significant improvements in knee power absorption [mean improvement, 0.42 watts per kilogram (W/kg)], ankle plantarflexor moment (0.1 Nm/kg) and ankle power generation (0.55 W/kg). Electromyography showed a 4.7 % increase in tibialis anterior activation time.
Conclusions:
These findings indicate that improvement in locomotor function can be achieved after surgery. Future studies should explore the potential for further recovery of gait through targeted neuro-rehabilitation.
