title: Comparison of walking energy cost between an anterior and a posterior ankle-foot orthosis in people with foot drop.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare walking energy cost between an anterior and a posterior ankle-foot orthosis in people with foot drop.
  
  
  METHODS
  Within-group comparisons.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-three adults (14 women, 9 men; mean age 56.8 years (standard deviation 15.4)) with foot drop.
  
  
  METHODS
  PARTICIPANTS were asked to walk for 5 min at their self-selected walking speed under 3 conditions: (i) with shoes only; (ii) with a posterior ankle-foot orthosis; (iii) with an anterior ankle-foot orthosis. Spatio-temporal gait para-meters (speed, step length and step frequency) and walking energy cost per unit of distance were assessed for each walking condition. A visual analogue scale was used to quantify participants' level of perceived comfort for the 2 orthosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Gait spatio-temporal parameters were higher with anterior ankle-foot orthoses than with posterior ankle-foot orthoses or shoes only. Walking energy cost per unit of distance was lower with anterior than posterior ankle-foot orthosis or shoes only ((mean ± standard error) 3.53 ± 1.00 vs 3.94 ± 1.27 and 3.98 ± 1.53 J·kg-1·m-1 respectively; p < 0.05) and level of perceived comfort was higher with anterior ((mean ± standard error) 8.00 ± 1.32) than with posterior ankle-foot orthosis ((mean ± standard error) 4.52 ± 2.57; p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In people with foot drop the use of anterior ankle-foot orthoses resulted in lower energy costs of walking and higher levels of perceived comfort compared with posterior ankle-foot orthoses. Anterior ankle-foot orthoses may enable people with foot drop to walk further with less physical effort than posterior ankle-foot orthoses.
authors: Department of Human Movement, Social and Health Sciences, University of Rome Foro Italico, 00135 Rome, Italy.
authors: Federica
authors: F
authors: Menotti
authors: Luca
authors: L
authors: Laudani
authors: Antonello
authors: A
authors: Damiani
authors: Paola
authors: P
authors: Orlando
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Macaluso
mesh_terms: D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000503:physiopathology*; D061826:Foot Orthoses; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012775:Shoes; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*