Article

Pelvis-shoulder coordination while walking may, as a consequence of changes in
spinal structure and posture, be susceptible to modifications in ankylosing
spondylitis (AS) sufferers. We designed an explanatory, cross-sectional trial to
assess whether Pelvis-shoulder coordination during walking in AS patients differs
from that in healthy subjects. Seventeen AS patients and 10 healthy sex- and
age-matched subjects were enrolled. Gait analysis was performed in order to define the time-distance and kinematic characteristics during walking.
Pelvis-shoulder coordination was calculated in terms of the continuous estimate
of relative phase (CRP) between the pelvis and shoulder girdles on the
transversal plane for the whole gait cycle (GC), as well as for its sub-phases.
No differences were found between patients and controls as regards mean velocity,
cadence and stride length. When kinematic variables were compared with those of
healthy controls, AS patients displayed greater pelvic tilt and increased hip
flexion in both the loading response (LR) and pre-swing (PSw) sub-phases. The CRP
mean values significantly differed between groups. Moreover, patients displayed a
peculiar CRP pattern, chiefly in the LR, terminal stance and PSw sub-phases. This
visual consideration was confirmed by the analysis of the CRP mean values in
these sub-phases of the GC. Our results suggest that the walking pattern of AS
patients is characterized by altered Pelvis-shoulder coordination during the GC.
CI - Copyright (c) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS