This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hesse, S Articles by Sarkodie-Gyan, T Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hesse, S Articles by Sarkodie-Gyan, T Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Gait pattern of severely disabled hemiparetic subjects on a new controlled gait trainer as compared to assisted treadmill walking with partial body weight support

D Uhlenbrock

Klinik Berlin, Department of Neurological Rehabilitation, Free University Berlin, Berlin, Germany

T Sarkodie-Gyan

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Teesside, Middlesbrough, UK

Objectives: To investigate to what extent and with how much therapeutic effort nonambulatory stroke patients could train a gait-like movement on a newly developed, machine-supported gait trainer.

Design: Open study comparing the movement on the gait trainer with assisted walking on the treadmill.

Setting: Motion analysis laboratory of a rehabilitation centre.

Subjects: Fourteen chronic, nonambulatory hemiparetic patients.

Intervention: Complex gait analysis while training on the gait trainer and while walking on the treadmill.

Main outcome measures: Gait kinematics, kinesiological EMG of several lower limb muscles and the required assistance.

Results: Patients could train a gait-like movement on the gait trainer, characterized kinematically by a perfect symmetry, larger hip extension during stance, less knee flexion and less ankle plantar flexion during swing as compared to treadmill walking (p <0.01). The pattern and amount of activation of relevant weight-bearing muscles was comparable with an even larger activation of the M. biceps femoris on the gait trainer (p <0.01). The tibialis anterior muscle of the nonaffected side, however, was less activated during swing (p <0.01). Two therapists assisted walking on the treadmill while only one therapist was necessary to help with weight shifting on the new device.

Conclusion: The newly developed gait trainer offered severely disabled hemiparetic subjects the possibility of training a gait-like, highly symmetrical movement with a favourable facilitation of relevant anti-gravity muscles. At the same time, the effort required of the therapists was reduced.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Katz-Leurer, I. Sender, O. Keren, and Z. Dvir The influence of early cycling training on balance in stroke patients at the subacute stage. Results of a preliminary trial Clinical Rehabilitation, May 1, 2006; 20(5): 398 - 405. [Abstract] [PDF]

				D. A Brown, S. Nagpal, and S. Chi Limb-Loaded Cycling Program for Locomotor Intervention Following Stroke Physical Therapy, February 1, 2005; 85(2): 159 - 168. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]