Temporospatial characteristics of gait in patients with lower limb muscle hypertonia after traumatic brain injury.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize gait characteristics of adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and lower limb muscle hypertonia, distinguishing gait adaptations inherent to TBI motor impairment from those of healthy subjects walking at slower speed.


METHODS
Temporospatial and kinematic data of 31 patients with TBI (41 ± 30 months post-injury) walking at self-selected speed (free speed) were compared with 31 healthy subjects walking at free and very slow speeds using an optoelectronic motion analysis system.


RESULTS
All step parameters differed (p < 0.05) between more affected (MA) and less affected (LA) sides in TBI except foot angle and toe clearance. Significant differences existed between TBI and controls in most parameters regardless of speed. These differences frequently involved the LA side. In TBI, most temporospatial parameters significantly correlated with stride velocity, whereas the averaged lower limb Ashworth score on the MA side (2.1 ± 0.4) showed few significant correlations.


CONCLUSIONS
Gait deviations in subjects with TBI and lower limb muscle hypertonia cannot be solely explained by slower walking. The preponderance of changes involving the LA side particularly suggests prevalent use of compensatory walking strategies. Temporospatial gait parameters are not closely related to static measures of muscle hypertonia after TBI.
Center for Neuroscience and Neurological Recovery, Methodist Rehabilitation Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA. jchow@mmrcrehab.org
John W
JW
Chow
Stuart A
SA
Yablon
Terry S
TS
Horn
Dobrivoje S
DS
Stokic
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D009122:Muscle Hypertonia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*