Differences in gait parameters when crossing real versus projected everyday life obstacles in healthy children and adolescents
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Date
2023-05-15Type
- Journal Article
ETH Bibliography
yes
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Abstract
Practicing complex everyday life walking activities is challenging in paediatric neurorehabilitation, although it would prepare patients more comprehensively for the requirements of daily life. Floor projections allow simulation and training of such situations in therapy. Twenty healthy youths aged 6-18 years stepped over a tree trunk and balanced over kerbstones in a real and projected condition. Spatiotemporal and kinematic parameters of the two conditions were compared by equivalence analysis, using the medians of the differences between the two conditions with their bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals. Velocity, step and stride length, step width, and single support time were generally equivalent between the two conditions. Knee and hip joint angles and toe clearance decreased substantially during the execution phase of the projected tree trunk condition. The largest differences were found at the end of the execution phase in both tasks for the ankle joints. As spatiotemporal parameters were equivalent between the conditions, floor projections seem suitable to train precise foot placement. However, differences in knee and hip joint kinematics and toe clearance revealed that floor projections are not applicable for obstacles with a vertical extension. Therefore, exercises aiming at knee and hip flexion improvement should favourably be trained with real objects. Show more
Permanent link
https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000613695Publication status
publishedExternal links
Journal / series
Scientific ReportsVolume
Pages / Article No.
Publisher
NatureMore
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ETH Bibliography
yes
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