title: A randomized comparison of energy consumption when using different canes, inpatients after stroke.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the differences in oxygen consumption associated with gait in hemiplegic patients according to the type of cane they use.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized crossover design.
  
  
  METHODS
  University hospital-based rehabilitation center, Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty consecutive patients (mean ± SD age, 56.3 ± 3.2 years) with chronic stroke, 17 (56.7%) males and 13 (43.3%) females.
  
  
  METHODS
  At approximately the same time of day for three consecutive days, each participant completed a walk with one of three randomly assigned types of canes: a single-point cane, a quad cane, and a hemi-walker.
  
  
  METHODS
  Energy expenditure (O2 rate, mL/kg/min), energy cost (O2 cost, mL/kg/m), and heart rate (HR) via a portable gas analyzer, a 10-meter walk test (10MWT), and a 6-minute walk test (6MWT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Energy expenditure, gait endurance, and gait velocity for a single-point cane were higher (p<0.001 or p=0.005) than for any other type of cane. Energy cost (0.5 ± 0.2 mL/kg/m vs. 0.6 ± 0.2 mL/kg/m vs. 0.6 ± 0.2 ml/kg/m, respectively, p=0.001) was lower for the single-point cane, except for HR (p ≥ 0.05) after the Bonferroni correction (0.05/5=0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A single-point cane requires less oxygen use at a given speed, or permits greater speed for the same oxygen consumption.
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Medicine, Dongguk University Ilsan Medical Center, Gyeonggi-do, Korea.
authors.forename: Yeon-Gyu
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Hanyang University Medical Center, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yeon Jae
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Hanyang University Medical Center, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Taikon
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Hanyang University Medical Center, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seung Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Hanyang University Medical Center, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seong Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Industrial Medicine, Hanyang University Medical Center, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yoon Shin
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Hanyang University Medical Center, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea dumitru1@hanyang.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Kyu Hoon
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D002183:Canes; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation
keywords: Hemiplegia; gait quality; walking aid