Increased variability of continuous overground walking in neuropathic patients is only indirectly related to sensory loss

The present study was conducted to determine if peripheral neuropathy leads to significant changes in locomotor variability. Fourteen patients with se vere peripheral neuropathy and 12 gender-, age-, height-, and weight-matche d non-diabetic controls participated. Sagittal plane angles of the right hi p, knee, and ankle joints and tri-axial accelerations of the trunk were mea sured during 10 min of continuous overground walking. Standard deviations o f stride times and stride-to-stride standard deviations of each kinematic V ariable were calculated. Neuropathic patients walked slower and exhibited s ome increases in locomotor variability compared to control subjects. Howeve r, these increases in gait variability were primarily linked to reductions in self-selected walking speed and were not directly attributable to sensor y loss itself. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.