Article

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether ankle orthoses that provide medial and lateral
support, and have been found to decrease gait variability in older persons with
peripheral neuropathy, decrease (improve) frontal plane ankle proprioceptive
thresholds or increase unipedal stance time in that same population. DESIGN:
Observational study in which unipedal stance time was determined with a
stopwatch, and frontal plane ankle (inversion and eversion) proprioceptive
thresholds were quantified during bipedal stance using a foot cradle system and a
series of 100 rotational stimuli, in 11 older neuropathic subjects
(8 men; age 72
+/- 7.1 yr) with and without ankle orthoses. RESULTS: The subjects demonstrated
no change in combined frontal plane (inversion + eversion) proprioceptive
thresholds or unipedal stance time with vs. without the orthoses (1.06 +/- 0.56
vs. 1.13 +/- 0.39 degrees, respectively; P = 0.955 and 6.1 +/- 6.5 vs. 6.2 +/-
5.4 secs, respectively;
P = 0.922). CONCLUSION:
Ankle orthoses that provide
medial-lateral support do not seem to change ankle inversion/eversion
proprioceptive thresholds or unipedal stance time in older persons with diabetic
peripheral neuropathy. Previously identified improvements in gait variability
using orthoses in this population are therefore likely related to an orthotically
induced stiffening of the ankle rather than a change in ankle afferent function.

Langue : ANGLAIS