An investigation into the trunk kinematics of people with stroke during gait

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: IntroductionThe trunk plays an important role in the symmetry, balance and stability of the lower and upper body during gait. Approximately two out of three people with stroke experience gait restrictions.ObjectiveTo describe the three dimensional kinematics of the trunk during gait in people with stroke.MethodsSeventeen subjects that met the following inclusion criteria: males and females 18 years and older; a single cardiovascular incident; ability to follow simple instructions and to walk 10 metres without assistive devices; were recruited by means of convenience sampling for this observational pilot study.The eight-camera T-10 Vicon system with Nexus 1.8 software and the Plug-in-Gait (PiG) model (Vicon Motion System Limited, Oxford, UK) were used to capture the participants during walking at a self-selected speed. Thorax kinematics and temperospatial parameters were analysed in MATLAB (The Mathworks, Natrick, MA) using custom built scripts. The differences between the two sides of the trunk (affected and less-affected) were calculated using the Sign test (statistical significance level p<0.05) (Stata software).ResultsDuring the full gait cycle there were statistically significant differences of thorax motion between the affected and the less-affected side in the coronal plane (p=0.049) and pelvic motion in the sagittal plane (p=0.049). At initial contact and foot off there were statistically significant differences of thorax motion between the affected and the less-affected side in all three planes, whereas the pelvic motion was only significantly different in the sagittal plane (p=0.000). In terms of temperospatial parameters, the participants showed symmetry in step/stride length and step/stride time. They managed functional gait speeds although they presented with asymmetrical thorax kinematics.ConclusionThis pilot study found significant asymmetry in thorax motion between the affected and less-affected sides of people with stroke.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University