ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To conduct a pilot study of weight-supported ambulation training after incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI), and to assess its safety. DESIGN: Quasiexperimental, repeated measures, single group. SETTING: Veterans Affairs medical center. PATIENTS: Three subjects with incomplete, chronic, thoracic SCIs; 2 classified as D on the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale and 1 as ASIA impairment scale C. INTERVENTION: Subjects participated in 12 weeks of training assisted by 2 physical therapists. The training consisted of walking on a treadmill while supported by a harness and a pneumatic suspension device. Support started at 40% of body weight and a treadmill speed of.16kmph, and progressed by reducing support and increasing treadmill speed and continuous treadmill walking time up to 20 minutes. Training was conducted for 1 hour per day, 5 days per week for 3 months. Treadmill walking occurred for 20 minutes during the sessions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Gait function (speed, endurance, walking status, use of assistive device and orthotics); oxygen costs of walking; brain motor control assessment; self-report indices; ASIA classification; muscle function test; and safety. RESULTS: All 3 subjects increased gait speed (.118m/s initially to.318m/s after training 12wk), and gait endurance (20.3m/5min initially to 63.5m/5min). The oxygen costs decreased from 1.96 to 1.33mL x kg(-1) x m(-1) after 12 weeks of training. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study suggests that supported treadmill ambulation training can improve gait for individuals with incomplete SCIs by using objective gait measures. The self-report indices used have promise as patient-centered outcome measures of this new form of gait training. A larger, controlled study of this technique is warranted.
Subject(s)
Exercise Therapy/methods , Spinal Cord Injuries/rehabilitation , Walking , Activities of Daily Living , Adult , Electromyography , Energy Metabolism , Gait , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Pilot Projects , Psychomotor Performance , Statistics, NonparametricABSTRACT
The purpose of this pilot study was to compare differences in motor recovery between regular rehabilitation (REG), and regular rehabilitation with supported treadmill ambulation training (STAT) using the performance on a bicycle exercise test and the locomotor scale of the Functional Independence Measure (FIM-L). Twelve patients with acute strokes were randomly assigned to either REG or STAT for 2 to 3 weeks. The STAT group received daily gait training utilizing a treadmill with partial support of body weight. After intervention, the STAT group had higher oxygen consumption (11.34+/-0.88 vs 8.32+/-0.88 ml/kg/min, p=0.039), total workload (58.75+/-7.09 vs 45.42+/-7.09 watts, p=ns), and total time pedaling the bike (288.91+/-30.61 vs 211.42+/-30.61 s, p=ns) compared to the REG group. The FIM-L scores were not different for the two groups. This pilot study suggests that the STAT intervention is a promising technique for acute stroke rehabilitation, and that future studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to establish the effectiveness of this intervention.
Subject(s)
Exercise Therapy , Stroke Rehabilitation , Aged , Exercise Test , Health Status Indicators , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Oxygen Consumption , Pilot Projects , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Supported Treadmill Ambulation Training (STAT) is a mode of therapy for gait retraining for patients with spinal cord injuries or other upper motor neuron dysfunction. The STAT program involves simultaneously supporting a portion of the patient's weight while gait training on a treadmill. STAT has been successful in improving the gait of many research subjects, but has not been widely applied in clinical practice. The goal of this study was to acquire practical, clinically useful information regarding this therapeutic intervention in order to remove barriers to its use. This manuscript enumerates equipment specifications for the treadmill, body weight support (BWS) system, and harness. The ergonomics of the work space are also considered, since the therapist(s) will need access to the patient's legs during therapy. The specific recommendations were determined through prior clinical experience, consultation of anthropometric tables, and application of engineering principles. The guidelines listed are intended to facilitate safe and effective application of the therapy at minimum hardware cost.
