Comparison of gait between healthy participants and persons with spinal cord injury when using a powered gait orthosis-a pilot study
Objectives:The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a powered gait orthosis (PGO) on the temporal–spatial parameters and kinematics of walking in both healthy participants and persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) using three-dimensional motion analysis to facilitate further development of such devices.Methods:Kinematics and temporal spatial data were obtained from three healthy participants and four persons with SCI who walked using the same design of PGO.Results:Walking speed was reduced by 28% and step length by 29% in healthy individuals when walking with PGO compared with normal walking and that recorded for persons with SCI was approximately one-third that of normal walking. There were significant differences in hip and knee joint ranges of motion in comparison between walking with PGO in healthy participants and walking with PGO in persons with SCI.Conclusion:Walking with a PGO by healthy participants significantly reduced critical gait parameters, and further development work is needed to produce a more effective device to match closely the gait parameters of normal walking by healthy participants. Significant differences between normal walking and that evidenced with the PGO by both healthy participants and persons with SCI were detected.