Article

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the differences in oxygen consumption associated with
gait in hemiplegic patients according to the type of cane they use. DESIGN: A
randomized crossover design. SETTING: University hospital-based rehabilitation
center, Korea. SUBJECTS: Thirty consecutive patients (mean +/- SD age, 56.3 +/-
3.2 years) with chronic stroke, 17 (56.7%) males and 13 (43.3%) females.
INTERVENTIONS: At approximately the same time of day for three consecutive days,
each participant completed a walk with one of three randomly assigned types of
canes: a single-point cane, a quad cane, and a hemi-walker. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE:
Energy expenditure (O2 rate, mL/kg/min), energy cost (O2 cost, mL/kg/m), and
heart rate (HR) via a portable gas analyzer, a 10-meter walk test (10MWT), and a
6-minute walk test (6MWT). RESULTS: Energy expenditure, gait endurance, and gait
velocity for a single-point cane were higher (p<0.001 or p=0.005) than for any
other type of cane. Energy cost (0.5 +/- 0.2 mL/kg/m vs. 0.6 +/- 0.2 mL/kg/m vs.
0.6 +/- 0.2 ml/kg/m, respectively, p=0.001) was lower for the single-point cane,
except for HR (p >/= 0.05) after the Bonferroni correction (0.05/5=0.01).
CONCLUSIONS: A single-point cane requires less oxygen use at a given speed, or
permits greater speed for the same oxygen consumption.
CI - (c) The Author(s) 2014.

Langue : ANGLAIS