How does wearing a lumbar orthosis interfere with gait initiation?

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Biomechanics
• Human Movement Science

Background:

• Medical devices like lumbar orthoses are evaluated via standardized lab tests.
• Lumbar orthoses are expected to influence gait initiation by altering trunk mobility and lordosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of lumbar orthoses on gait initiation.
• To determine if lordosis constraints within an orthosis impact gait initiation biomechanics.

Main Methods:

• Thirteen healthy subjects performed gait initiation tasks.
• Gait initiation was assessed with and without a lumbar orthosis, including lordosis constraints.
• Key biomechanical parameters of gait initiation were analyzed.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant differences were found in gait initiation parameters across conditions.
• The duration of anticipation and execution phases remained unchanged.
• Maximal instantaneous velocity of the center of gravity was not affected.

Conclusions:

• Lumbar orthosis use does not significantly interfere with gait initiation in healthy adults.
• Gait initiation parameters appear robust, possibly due to compensatory adaptive strategies.
• Future research should explore these adaptive strategies in response to orthotic devices.