Increased minimum toe clearance variability in patients with peripheral arterial disease

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Vascular Medicine
• Gerontology

Background:

• Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is linked to increased fall risk and walking difficulties.
• Minimum toe clearance (MTC) is a critical gait parameter associated with fall risk.
• No prior studies have examined the functional gait mechanisms, specifically MTC, in PAD patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate minimum toe clearance (MTC) during treadmill walking in individuals with PAD compared to healthy controls.
• To determine if MTC parameters differ between PAD patients and controls, both in pain-free states and after the onset of claudication pain.
• To explore MTC variability as a potential functional assessment for PAD.

Main Methods:

• Gait analysis was performed on 18 PAD patients and 18 healthy controls walking on a treadmill.
• MTC (mean and variability) was measured before and after the onset of claudication pain in PAD patients.
• Statistical analysis compared MTC parameters between groups and conditions.

Main Results:

• Mean MTC did not differ significantly between PAD patients and controls, regardless of pain status.
• MTC variability was significantly increased in PAD patients compared to controls, both in pain-free and pain conditions.
• No significant differences in MTC mean or variability were observed between pain-free and pain conditions within the PAD group.

Conclusions:

• Increased MTC variability is a consistent finding in PAD patients, present even before pain onset.
• MTC variability may serve as a valuable objective measure for assessing treatment and rehabilitation efficacy in PAD.
• This study highlights altered gait dynamics in PAD, contributing to understanding their increased fall risk.