Gait characteristics of post-poliomyelitis patients: standardization of quantitative data reporting.
OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the differences in gait characteristics and gait symmetry of post-polio syndrome (PPS) patients ambulating with or without shoes and between subgroups walking with different walking aids and orthoses, study the correlation of these data with personal data, illness condition, physical health, frequency of using aids and orthotics and frequency of falls, and derive recommendations for standardization of reporting these data.


METHOD
Twenty-six PPS subjects ambulated with their own walking devices. We calculated spatio-temporal parameters and symmetry indices (SI) of gait using a data acquired by a motion capture system. We compared inter-subject differences in gait pattern for PPS groups that differed by questionnaire-obtained data of demographics, physical activity, polio history, falls and walking aids. Additional inter-subject comparisons were performed between normal subjects (n=16), PPS patients walking with shoes with/without an ankle-foot-orthosis (n=11), PPS patients walking with knee-ankle-foot-orthosis (n=5), and PPS patients walking with a walker/crutches (n=10). We also compared intra-subject variability in PPS subjects who were able to repeat the trials barefoot.


RESULTS
Our main results show that subjects who reported participating in physical activity twice a week or more had significantly better step time and double support symmetry. Subjects who use walking aids on a daily basis had significantly higher gait cadence and shorter stride time. Also, subjects that do not require knee-ankle-foot orthoses and/or walking aids walked with a smaller base width and better symmetry in stance and swing durations than PPS subjects who require these aids.


CONCLUSIONS
The gait pattern of PPS patients is related to numerous intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Standardization of the reporting protocol of gait-related data of PPS patients is crucial for patient evaluation and treatment design.
['Portnoy|S|S|', 'Schwartz|I|I|']
D000058:Accidental Falls D000328:Adult D000368:Aged D016022:Case-Control Studies D003446:Crutches D005260:Female D005684:Gait D006801:Humans D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D009989:Orthotic Devices D011051:Poliomyelitis D012107:Research Design D012775:Shoes D014853:Walkers D055815:Young Adult
Gait symmetry Post-polio syndrome Walking aids Orthotics Aides à la marche Analyse informatique comparative de la démarche Chaussures orthopédiques Computational gait analysis Orthopedic shoes Orthotique Rehabilitation Rééducation Symétrie de la démarche Syndrome post-polio