Age effects on step adaptation during treadmill walking with continuous step length biofeedback.

BACKGROUND: The inability to adjust step length can lead to falls in older people when navigating everyday terrain. Precisely targeted forward placement of the leading foot, constituting step length adjustment, is required for adaptive gait control, but this ability may reduce with ageing. The objective of this study was to investigate ageing effects on step length adaptation using real-time biofeedback. RESEARCH QUESTION: Does ageing affect the ability to adapt step length to match a target using real-time biofeedback? METHODS: Fifteen older adults (67 ± 3 years; 8 females) and 27 young adults (24 ± 4 years; 13 females) completed a step length adaptation test while walking at preferred speed on a treadmill. The test involved walking while viewing a monitor at the front of the treadmill that showed a real-time signal of absolute left-right foot displacement. The task was to match the local maxima of the signal (i.e. step length) to two target conditions, at 10 % longer or 10 % shorter than mean baseline step length. When the target was displayed, it remained unchanged for a set of 10 consecutive step attempts. Three sets of 10 attempts for each target condition were allocated in random order, for a total of 30 step attempts per target. Average absolute error and average error (bias) of step length accuracy was computed for each target condition and compared between groups. RESULTS: The step adaptation test identified that older adults had greater mean absolute error for both short and long step targets and showed a step length-dependent bias significantly different to the young. SIGNIFICANCE: Real-time foot position feedback could be a useful tool to train and evaluate step adaptation in older people.

Orthotic treatment of idiopathic hyperkyphosis with Milwaukee brace.

BACKGROUND: Hyperkyphosis with unknown reason is common in teenagers and can be corrected by orthotic management. OBJECTIVES: Investigation of orthotic outcomes by Milwaukee brace. METHODS: Sixty-one patients with idiopathic hyperkyphosis (> 45 degrees) were given Milwaukee brace before skeletal maturity. Hyperkyphosis was measured during the first visit without brace, in-brace, at the end of full-time and part time duration of treatment. After treatment completion, participants were categorized in two groups: with hyperkyphosis of 45 degrees and less (Group I) and more than 45 degrees (Group II). These groups were compared to interpret the treatment outcomes. RESULTS: The mean kyphotic curve was 60.1 (SD ± 7.7) and 71 (SD = 10.1) degrees in Group I and II, respectively. The mean kyphotic curve at the time of full time and part time duration of treatment showed no significant difference in patients successfully completed the treatment (P = 0.10) while there was a significant difference between mean kyphotic curve in full time and part time treatment duration for patients with hyperkyphosis of more than 45 degrees (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Hyperkyphosis of less than 70 degrees can be treated if the in-brace correction is saved in part-time duration.

The effect of feet position on standing balance in patients with diabetes.

Feet displacement is recognized to be an important element in standing and is also linked to postural instability in elderly people with diabetes. This study investigates standing balance in diabetic patients in four asymmetric feet displacements. Quiet standing balance was investigated using the Biodex Balance System in 18 diabetic patients and compared with 18 control elderly subjects. The four standing conditions, namely, comfortable feet position, preferred feet position with a stance width of 17 cm and 15° angle between the medial borders, feet side by side, and heel side by side with a 30° angle between medial edges of feet were evaluated (i.e. eyes opened, eyes closed). The overall stability was calculated by measuring anterior-posterior and medial-lateral indices in standing conditions. Differences among feet positions were compared using an analysis of variance and the independent t-test. The diabetic patients were unstable in the medial-lateral direction when standing with feet side by side versus heel side by side with a 30° angle between medial edges of feet (p = 0.012 and 0.011, respectively), while in controls the anterior-posterior stability scores between standing in preferred foot position with stance width of 17 cm and 15° angle between the medial borders versus feet side by side, and heel side by side with a 30° angle between medial edges of feet versus preferred foot position with stance width of 17 cm and 15° angle between the medial borders had significant difference (p < 0.05). The anterior-posterior stability scores of diabetic subjects with feet side by side versus comfortable foot position (p = 0.047) and heel side by side with a 30° angle between medial edges of feet versus comfortable foot position (p = 0.016) when they closed their eyes during the test had significant difference. Results confirmed that diabetic patients have greater instability in the medial-lateral direction when the base of support reduces and visual clue has an important role in standing balance.

Balance and risk of fall in individuals with bilateral mild and moderate knee osteoarthritis.

Balance is essential for mobility and performing activities of daily living. People with knee osteoarthritis display impairment in knee joint proprioception. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate balance and risk of fall in individuals with bilateral mild and moderate knee osteoarthritis. Sixty subjects aged between 50 and 70 years volunteered in this study. They were categorized into three groups which were healthy (n = 20), mild (n = 20) and moderate (n = 20) bilateral knee osteoarthritis groups. Dynamic and static balance and risk of fall were assessed using Biodex Stability System. In addition, Timed Up and Go test was used as a clinical test for balance. Results of this study illustrated that there were significant differences in balance (dynamic and static) and risk of fall between three groups. In addition, the main (most significant) difference was found to be between healthy group and moderate group. Furthermore, on clinical scoring of balance, the "Timed Up and Go" test, all three groups showed significant difference. In conclusion, bilateral knee osteoarthritis impaired the balance and increased the risk of fall, particularly in people with moderate knee osteoarthritis.

Effect of exercise and gait retraining on knee adduction moment in people with knee osteoarthritis.

The knee adduction moment represents the medial knee joint load, and greater value is associated with higher load. In people with knee osteoarthritis, it is important to apply proper treatment with the least side effects to reduce knee adduction moment and, consequently, reduce medial knee joint load. This reduction may slow the progression of knee osteoarthritis. The research team performed a literature search of electronic databases. The search keywords were as follows: knee osteoarthritis, knee adduction moment, exercise program, exercise therapy, gait retraining, gait modification and knee joint loading. In total, 12 studies were selected, according to the selection criteria. Findings from previous studies illustrated that exercise and gait retraining programs could alter knee adduction moment in people with knee osteoarthritis. These treatments are noninvasive and nonpharmacological which so far have no or few side effects, as well as being low cost. The results of this review revealed that gait retraining programs were helpful in reducing the knee adduction moment. In contrast, not all the exercise programs were beneficial in reducing knee adduction moment. Future studies are needed to indicate best clinical exercise and gait retraining programs, which are most effective in reducing knee adduction moment in people with knee osteoarthritis.

Treatment stability of Milwaukee brace in idiopathic hyperkyphosis.

BACKGROUND: The Milwaukee brace is an efficient method for correcting hyperkyphosis before skeletal maturity. However, loss of correction in long-term follow-up is inevitable. OBJECTIVES: To determine loss of correction and factors affecting the loss of correction. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. METHODS: A total of 49 corrected patients by Milwaukee brace participated minimum 2 years after treatment completion. The participants were categorized into two groups based on their roentgenograms: Group 1 (n = 36) had kyphotic curves of 45° or less and Group 2 (n = 13) had kyphotic curves of more than 45°. RESULTS: The mean loss of corrections for Group 1 and Group 2 were 3.80° (ranges = 0°-13°) and 12.92° (ranges = 8°-22°), respectively. Group 1 showed no significant difference between the average hyperkyphosis of the patients for the part-time and full-time treatment duration (p = 0.02). By contrast, a significant difference was observed between the average hyperkyphosis of patients in Group 2 for the part-time and full-time treatment duration (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with kyphosis of 60° or less who can save the correction in full-time orthotic treatment in part-time treatment may have the least loss of correction over time. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: As the orthotic treatment is a time-consuming method that needs the close collaboration of patient and treatment team, it is possible that clinicians predict the probable result of treatment and efficiency of orthotic treatment. Thus, a clinician can abandon orthotic treatment and refer the patient for an operation.