title: The influence of trunk extension in using advanced reciprocating gait orthosis on walking in spinal cord injury patients: A pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Spinal cord injury patients walk with a flexed trunk when using reciprocating gait orthoses. Reduction of trunk flexion during ambulation may produce an improvement in gait parameters for reciprocating gait orthosis users.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect on kinematics and temporal-spatial parameters when spinal cord injury patients ambulate with an advanced reciprocating gait orthosis while wearing a thoracolumbosacral orthosis to provide trunk extension.
  
  
  METHODS
  Comparative study between before and after use o thoracolumbosacral orthosis with the advanced reciprocating gait orthoses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four patients with spinal cord injury were fitted with an advanced reciprocating gait orthosis and also wore a thoracolumbosacral orthosis. Patients walked along a flat walkway either with or without the thoracolumbosacral orthosis at their self-selected walking speed. Temporal-spatial parameters and lower limb kinematics were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean walking speed, step length, and cadence all improved when walking with the thoracolumbosacral orthosis donned compared to the trunk support offered by the advanced reciprocating gait orthosis. Hip and ankle joint ranges of motion were significantly increased when wearing the thoracolumbosacral orthosis during ambulation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using an advanced reciprocating gait orthosis when wearing a thoracolumbosacral orthosis can improve walking speed and the step length of walking as compared with walking with an advanced reciprocating gait orthosis, probably due to the extended position of the trunk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Donning the thoracolumbosacral orthosis produced a relatively extended trunk position in the advanced reciprocating gait orthosis for all the patients included in the study, which resulted in improved gait parameters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthotics and Prosthetics, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Science, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors.forename: Mokhtar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arazpour
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gharib
authors.affiliation: IHSCR, Faculty of Health & Social Care, University of Salford, Manchester, Salford, UK.
authors.forename: Stephen William
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Hutchins
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthotics and Prosthetics, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Science, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors.forename: Monireh Ahmadi
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bani
authors.affiliation: Cardiff School of Health Sciences, Cardiff Metropolitan University Cardiff, UK.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Curran
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthotics and Prosthetics, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Science, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran E.mousavi2001@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mohammad Ebrahim
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Mousavi
authors.affiliation: Brain and Spinal Injuries Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors.forename: Hooshang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saberi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001915:Braces; D005260:Female; D061826:Foot Orthoses; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006621:Hip Joint; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Spinal cord injury; advanced reciprocating gait orthosis; trunk extension; walking