title: Pre- and post-operative gait analysis for evaluation of neck pain in chronic whiplash.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic neck pain after whiplash is notoriously refractory to conservative treatment, and positive radiological findings to explain the symptoms are scarce. The apparent disproportionality between subjective complaints and objective findings is significant for the planning of treatment, impairment ratings, and judicial questions on causation. However, failure to identify a symptom's focal origin with routine imaging studies does not invalidate the symptom per se. It is therefore of a general interest both to develop effective therapeutic strategies in chronic whiplash, and to establish techniques for objectively evaluation of treatment outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve patients with chronic neck pain after whiplash underwent pre- and postoperative computerized 3D gait analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant improvement was found in all gait parameters, cervical range-of-motion, and self reported pain (VAS).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chronic neck pain is associated with abnormal cervical spine motion and gait patterns. 3D gait analysis is a useful instrument to assess the outcome of treatment for neck pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA. anystrom@unmc.edu
authors.forename: Ake
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nystrom
authors.forename: Glen M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Ginsburg
authors.forename: Wayne
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Stuberg
authors.forename: Stacey
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dejong