Article

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of an arm sling on gait speed and energy
efficiency of patients with hemiplegia. A randomized crossover design.
A rehabilitation department of a university hospital.
Thirty-seven outpatients with hemiplegia were included in this study.
All patients walked on a 20-m walkway twice on the same day,
randomly with and without an arm sling, at a self selected speed. Main measures:
The heart rate, gait speed, oxygen cost and oxygen rate were measured on all
patients. We analysed all values with and without an arm sling and also compared
them after all patients being stratified according to demographic and clinical
characteristics. RESULTS: When we compared the heart rate between walking with
(90.7 +/- 17.2 beats/min) and without (91.2 +/- 18.6 beats/min) the arm sling, it
was significantly decreased while walking with the arm sling. When we compared
the gait speed between walking with (32.8 m/min) and without (30.1 m/min), it was
significantly increased with the arm sling walking. The O(2) rate in hemiplegic
patients walking with the arm sling was significantly decreased by 7%, compared
to walking without arm sling (5.8 mL/kg min and 6.2 mL/kg min, respectively). The
O(2) cost in hemiplegic patients walking without arm sling was significantly 1.4
times greater than walking with it (0.2 mL/kg m and 0.3 mL/kg m, respectively).
CONCLUSION: An arm sling can be used to improve the gait efficiency.

Langue : ANGLAIS