Mohammad Taghi Karimi; Alireza Ashraf; Mohammad Amin Vafaei; Kourosh Barati; Fatemeh Shamsi
Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 13 August 2023
Abstract
Background: Patients with foot drop may need to rely on compensatory mechanisms to improve their gait. Although several gait analysis parameters have been studied in these individuals, ...
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Background: Patients with foot drop may need to rely on compensatory mechanisms to improve their gait. Although several gait analysis parameters have been studied in these individuals, no prior research has examined their joint contact force. Thus, in this study, we focused on investigating not only multiple parameters of gait analysis but also the joint contact force of the joints in patients with foot drop.
Methods: This study was an experimental study. Twenty individuals aged 15 to 60 (mean value 56.4 ± 3.68) with foot drop disorders were recruited in this study. Moreover, there was a control group matched with the first group based on the age, height, and gender of the subjects. The participants were instructed to walk in a 12-meter-long walk away. A motion analysis system with 8 high-speed cameras and a Kistler force plate were used. During gait analysis, various parameters are measured, such as spatiotemporal, peak of forces applied on the leg, range of motions, moments applied on the lower limbs, and joint contact forces.
Results: The mean values of stride length and speed of normal subject was 1.32±0.2 m and 1.24 ± 0.177 m/s, compared to 0.961±0.24 m and 0.686 ± 0.25 m/s for foot drop subjects, respectively (p-value = 0.00). The joint contact force components of the ankle joint increased significantly in foot drop subjects compared to normal.
Conclusion: The joint contact forces of the ankle joint increased significantly in foot drop patients which should be considered in the rehabilitation treatment of these subjects.
