Treadmill walking in incomplete spinal-cord-injured subjects: 2. Factors limiting the maximal speed

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Abstract
Study design/methods: Five SCI subjects referred to the laboratory and a convenience sample of five normal volunteer individuals was selected. Stride length and frequency were measured at different walking speeds under three different conditions: preferred, highest possible and lowest possible stepping frequencies. Objective: To determine which factors are limiting the maximal walking speed in spinal-cord-injured (SCI) individuals. Setting: University-Based Human Gait Laboratory, Montreal, Canada. Results: It is shown that maximal stride frequency was the predominant limiting factor of the maximal treadmill-walking speed in SCI subjects. These results were explained in the light of the forced hybrid mass–spring pendulum model. At all speeds, SCI subjects spent longer time in stance, swing and double support phases. The relative time spent in single support is greater at higher walking speed and the difficulty to reduce double support time is a limiting factor. Conclusions: A better understanding of the factors limiting the maximal speed in SCI subjects should help developing rehabilitation interventions oriented towards increasing the control and the capacity of walking. Rehabilitation strategies should put the emphasis on improving the capacity to produce rapid alternate rhythmical stepping movements of the lower limbs. Sponsorship: Neuroscience Network of the Canadian Centre of Excellence.