2016 Volume 7 Pages 80-86
Pongpipatpaiboon K, Mukaino M, Tsuchiyama K, Ohtsuka K, Matsuda F, Tanikawa H, Yamada J, Saitoh E. The use of a holistic figure in gait analysis: a preliminary study on the effect of ankle-foot orthosis. Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 2016; 7: 80-86.
Objective: To examine the practical usefulness of a simplified three-dimensional treadmill gait analysis with a Lissajous overview picture (LOP), a holistic figure of marker trajectories, to present the effect of ankle-foot orthoses (AFO) on hemiparetic gait.
Methods: Seven patients with hemiparesis who were able to walk without an orthosis or gait assistive device were included in this study. Patients were measured with a simplified three-dimensional treadmill gait analysis system as they walked with and without an orthosis in a rehabilitation center of a university medical center. Gait was analyzed using the LOP, and quantitative comparisons were made to evaluate the changes in joint angles and joint position displacements during the swing phase.
Results: Using the orthosis decreased ankle plantar flexion during the swing phase (p = 0.028) and significantly reduced compensatory patterns, including hip elevation, knee elevation, and circumduction (p = 0.028, 0.018, and 0.028, respectively).
Conclusions: The quantitative assessment by a simplified gait analysis system clarified the effect of AFO on reducing the compensatory movement in a hemiparetic gait. The use of LOP helps to understand the holistic effect of AFO and to analyze the individual patterns of gait disturbance.
