Gait adaptations during walking under visual and cognitive constraints - Astudy of patients recovering from limb-saving surgery of the lower limb

Citation
E. De Visser et al., Gait adaptations during walking under visual and cognitive constraints - Astudy of patients recovering from limb-saving surgery of the lower limb, AM J PHYS M, 77(6), 1998, pp. 503-509
Citations number
22
Categorie Soggetti
Ortopedics, Rehabilitation & Sport Medicine
Journal title
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL MEDICINE & REHABILITATION
ISSN journal
08949115 → ACNP
Volume
77
Issue
6
Year of publication
1998
Pages
503 - 509
Database
ISI
SICI code
0894-9115(199811/12)77:6<503:GADWUV>2.0.ZU;2-U
Abstract
The objective of this case series study was reautomatization of gait after limb-saving surgery for tumors at a laboratory of gait analysis. Twelve pat ients (9 males and 3 females; mean age, 38 years) who underwent limb-saving surgery of the lower limb at least 1 year previously and ten normal subjec ts (3 males and 7 females; mean age, 37.5 years) were studied. The main out come measures were walking speed and stride time duration under normal walk ing conditions as well as the use of different types of constraints. Patien ts walked with a lower preferred walking speed than the normal subjects. Pa tients showed a higher coefficient of variation of stride time in normal wa lking as well as complex walking compared with normal subjects. During walk ing with constraints, a significant decrease in stride time was found in pa tients but not in normal subjects. Although restoration of gait after limb- saving surgery is impressive, it is not complete (lower walking speed) and can break down under conditions of visual and cognitive load. Hence, the ap plication of complex tasks reveals that gait reautomatization is not comple te in these patients during a period of 2 to 5 years after surgery.