Comparison of below-knee amputee gait performed overground and on a motorized treadmill.
There has been no direct attempt to evaluate whether gait performed overground and on a treadmill is the same for lower limb amputees. A multiple case study approach was adopted to explore the degenerate movement behavior displayed by three male amputees. Participants walked overground at a self-selected preferred pace and when this speed was enforced on a treadmill (50 stride cycles per condition). The extremities of motion (i.e., maximum flexion) for the hip and knee joints differed between conditions (0.2-3.8 degrees). For two participants, the temporal asymmetry of gait was reduced on the treadmill. Initial data suggest that research on amputees simulating overground walking on a treadmill might need to be interpreted with some caution.
Button
Chris
C
School of Physical Education, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Moyle
Stuart
S
Davids
Keith
K
D000328:Adult; D000673:Amputation, Traumatic / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D001186:Artificial Limbs; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004779:Environment Design; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg; D008297:Male; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013499:Surface Properties