title: Surface electromyography and plantar pressure changes with novel gait training device in participants with chronic ankle instability.
abstract: Rehabilitation is ineffective at restoring normal gait in chronic ankle instability patients. Our purpose was to determine if a novel gait-training device could decrease plantar pressure on the lateral column of the foot in chronic ankle instability patients.
  
  
  
  Ten chronic ankle instability patients completed 30s trials of baseline and gait-training walking at a self-selected pace while in-shoe plantar pressure and surface electromyography were recorded from their anterior tibialis, peroneus longus, medial gastrocnemius, and gluteus medius. The gait-training device applied a medially-directed force to the lower leg via elastic bands during the entire gait cycle. Plantar pressure measures of the entire foot and 9 specific regions of the foot as well as surface electromyography root mean square areas were compared between the baseline and gait-training conditions using paired t-tests with a priori level of significance of p≤0.05.
  
  
  
  The gait-training device decreased pressure time integrals and peak pressures in the lateral midfoot (p=0.003 and p=0.003) and lateral forefoot (p=0.023 and p=0.005), and increased pressure time integrals and peak pressures for the total foot (p=0.030 and p=0.017) and hallux (p=0.005 and p=0.002). The center of pressure was shifted medially during the entire stance phase (p<0.003 for all comparisons) due to increased peroneus longus activity prior to (p=0.002) and following initial contact (p=0.002).
  
  
  
  The gait-training device decreased pressure on the lateral column of the foot and increased peroneus longus muscle activity. Future research should analyze the efficacy of the gait-training device during gait retraining for chronic ankle instability.
authors.affiliation: University of Virginia, USA. Electronic address: mf3de@virginia.edu.
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Feger
authors.affiliation: University of Virginia, USA.
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hertel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000502:physiology*; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D011312:Pressure; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Gait retraining; Rehabilitation; Surface electromyography