Abstract
Objectives:
To study the postural adaptations of subjects with incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI) and non-injured subjects during overground walking on level and inclined surfaces.
Methods:
Six subjects with iSCI and seven non-injured subjects walked on an inclined surface (slope: 15%) and a level surface at their natural gait speed and at a slow gait speed (non-injured subjects only). Maximal stabilizing and minimal destabilizing forces were calculated to quantify dynamic balance during walking. Correlational analysis identified the variables that influence these stabilizing and destabilizing forces.
Results:
Subjects with iSCI and good sensorimotor recovery were similar to non-injured subjects with respect to maximal stabilizing and minimal destabilizing forces when they walked at the same speed. The MaxSF was mainly explained by the center of pressure speed and step length, whereas the minimal destabilizing force was moderately correlated with body mass and height.
Conclusion:
The influence of gait speed on balance should be considered with a group comparison. With regard to dynamic balance, highly functioning subjects with iSCI do not seem to be sufficiently challenged while walking at their preferred gait speed. Asking individuals with subtle impairments to walk faster following an iSCI may reveal postural adaptations and have an effect on balance abilities.
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Acknowledgements
This work was financed by the Sensorimotor Rehabilitation Research Team (SMRRT; Strategic initiative, Canadian Institutes of Health Research—CIHR). ED was supported by a summer scholarship from the COPSÉ program (Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal) and by the Fonds de Recherche du Québec-Santé (FRQ-S).
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Desrosiers, É., Nadeau, S. & Duclos, C. Balance during walking on an inclined instrumented pathway following incomplete spinal cord injury. Spinal Cord 53, 387–394 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/sc.2014.215
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sc.2014.215
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