Background and Objective
Spinal cord injuries (SCI) often lead to gait disorders, which degrade mobility. We evaluated the difference of gait variables, plantar pressure parameters and symmetry index between SCI patients and healthy subjects. Based on these findings, the goal of this study is to identify useful quantitative indicators that reflect the condition of spinal cord injury in walking. This study is also aimed to analysis the difference of gait variables, plantar pressure parameters in SCI patients according to level of injury.
Methods
The spatiotemporal parameters of walking and the parameters of plantar pressure can be obtained using a plantar pressure analysis system. This was a observational, cross-sectional study, which included 23 patients with SCI, aged 70.4 ± 8.4 years, and 21 healthy subjects, aged 66.2 ± 9.7 years. All subjects underwent walking with insole pressure measurement device to measure walking speed and spatiotemporal parameters.
Results
Compared with healthy subjects, SCI patients had slower walking speed, shorter stride length, longer stride duration and stance phase duration, larger double support phase percentage and smaller effective foot length percentage. In SCI subgroups, spatiotemporal parameters were no significant difference.
The impulse under heel were larger in SCI patients than in healthy subjects. The relative regional impulse under forefoot were smaller and under heel were larger in SCI patients than in healthy subjects. There was no significant difference in impulse and relative regional impulse between SCI subgroups according to the level of injury.
The symmetry indexes of effective foot length percentage was significantly different between SCI and healthy groups. The Berg Balance Scale (BBS) showed a significant correlation with spatial-temporal parameters in SCI subjects.
Conclusion
Spatiotemporal variables, plantar pressure parameters and symmetry index of effective foot length of SCI patients were significantly different compared with healthy subjects. But, in SCI subgroups, spatiotemporal and plantar pressure parameters showed no significant difference. BBS was significantly correlated with spatial-temporal parameters in SCI subjects. The variables extracted from the plantar pressure system, symmetry index of effective foot length, BBS could provide sensitive quantitative parameters for future interventional study to improve gait quality of SCI patients.
Key words: spinal cord injury, gait, plantar pressure , symmetry index of foot length, Berg balance scale |
