title: [Influence of gait speed on plantar pressure in subjects with unilateral knee osteoarthritis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Changing gait speed is a common strategy to manipulate exercise intensity during physical exercise, but may elicit higher impact forces and consequent joint loading. Here we analyzed the effects of increasing walking velocity on plantar pressure and asymmetries in elderly with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Our hypothesis was that the contralateral limb could receive higher loading compared to the OA limb in the different walking speeds tested.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve elderly with unilateral knee OA walked at different self-selected speeds along a 10 m pass way stepping on an instrumented mat for measurement of plantar pressure at preferred, slow and fast gait speeds. Five steps were recorded for each speed. Plantar pressure data were compared between the speeds and legs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  speeds were significantly different between them (p<0.05). Mean and peak plantar pressure increased when speed changed from slow to fast (p<0.05). Velocity of the center of pressure increased and the single stance time decreased when walk speed was increased (p<0.05). Any asymmetries were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increasing gait speed from slow to fast in subjects with unilateral knee OA significantly affected variables of plantar pressure, but asymmetries between committed and contralateral leg were not detected.
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Pesquisa em Neuromecânica Aplicada, Laboratório de Neuromecânica, Universidade Federal do Pampa, Uruguaiana, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Wagner Costa
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Pesquisa em Neuromecânica Aplicada, Laboratório de Neuromecânica, Universidade Federal do Pampa, Uruguaiana, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Alvaro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Pesquisa em Neuromecânica Aplicada, Laboratório de Neuromecânica, Universidade Federal do Pampa, Uruguaiana, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Caio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Borella
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Pesquisa em Neuromecânica Aplicada, Laboratório de Neuromecânica, Universidade Federal do Pampa, Uruguaiana, RS, Brasil. Electronic address: carpes@unipampa.edu.br.
authors.forename: Felipe P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Carpes
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011312:Pressure; D000072797:Walking Speed
keywords: Assimetrias; Asymmetry; Caminhada; Center of pressure; Centro de pressão; Cinética; Elderly; Idosos; Kinetics; Walking