[Feedback therapy for improving heel contact and toe off motion during ambulation (author's transl)]

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Neurorehabilitation
• Biomechanics

Context:

• Children with cerebral palsy (CP) often exhibit postural defects during ambulation, leading to excessive vertical loads at heel contact.
• These loads contribute to unfavorable motor patterns, increased joint stress, and detrimental spinal movements in children with CP.

Purpose:

• To develop and evaluate an acoustic feedback system to improve motor control during ambulation in children with CP.
• To enable children with CP to consciously learn and control heel contact and toe-off patterns through auditory feedback.

Summary:

• An acoustic feedback system was developed, translating vertical ground reaction forces during walking into audible tones.
• Children with motor disorders, including hemiplegia and diplegia, utilized this system to modulate their gait, focusing on controlled force application during heel strike and toe-off.
• Acoustic feedback facilitated conscious learning of optimized gait patterns, characterized by gradual force increase, a defined peak, and a controlled floor contact phase.

Impact:

• Significant reduction in load increase during ambulation was observed in children with both hemiplegia and diplegia.
• Demonstrated the capability of children with CP to master complex motor tasks using external feedback systems and adapt their gait.
• The system enhanced motivation and provided a valuable therapeutic tool for improving gait mechanics and joint loading in children with CP.