Abstract
[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to clarify the effects of cane use on the accuracy of step length adjustment during walking. [Subjects and Methods] Fourteen healthy young subjects adjusted their step lengths while walking under 6 conditions: 3 target step lengths (normal, small, large) with and without cane use. The accuracy of the adjustment of the target step length and the consistency of the step length of the 10 steps were calculated. [Results] The inconsistency of the step length of the 10 steps under the cane use condition was significantly larger than that under the no cane condition. The accuracy of the adjustment of the target step length in the cane use condition did not differ from that of the no cane condition. [Conclusion] Cane use during walking might cause inconsistency of step length, and inconsistency of step length would elicit an unstable gait rhythm.
