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Gait and calf muscle endurance in patients with chronic venous insufficiency

Department of Physical Therapy, University Medical Center Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

C JM van der Vleuten

Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

J GM Kooloos

Department of Anatomy and Embryology, University Medical Center Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

J H Haenen

Clinical Vascular Laboratory, University Medical Center Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

H Wollersheim

Department of General Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Objective: To gain insight in gait and calf muscle endurance in patients with severe chronic venous insufficiency.

Methods: Fifteen patients with severe chronic venous insufficiency (healed or active ulcers) and 19 healthy controls were selected for this study. Subjects had to perform eight trials at preferred walking speed and eight trials at instructed walking speed (1.25 m/s) during which the gait parameters were recorded. The calf muscle endurance was tested by use of the heel-rise test.

Results: Patients had a significantly lower preferred walking speed (1.25 m/s9 /± 0.31) compared with healthy controls (1.44 m/s± 0.0.15) (p=0.039). During preferred walking speed patients had a wider base of support (p=0.003), a bigger step time (p=0.005), and a bigger stride time (p=0.004) compared with healthy controls. At instructed walking speed only base of support was different between the two groups (p=0.016). Patients had a significantly (p=0.003) smaller number of heel rises (14.69 ± 7.34), indicating decreased calf muscle endurance compared with controls (23.59 ±6.54).

Conclusion: This study indicates a disturbed gait and decreased calf muscle endurance in patients with severe chronic venous insufficiency.

Clinical Rehabilitation, Vol. 19, No. 3, 339-344 (2005)
DOI: 10.1191/0269215505cr809oa


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