Article

Accelerated rehabilitation following hip fracture and joint replacement,
including early unrestricted weight-bearing and muscle strengthening, has gained
importance in hastening functional recovery and hospital discharge. The influence
of walking aids on these parameters is sparsely investigated. In this case
report, we document the effect of walking with crutches ; an orthotic garment and
strapping system, TheraTogs; and no walking aids over 3-4-week periods on walking
speed, trunk sway, and muscle activity measured with electromyography (EMG). The
patient was a 49-year-old female showing delayed healing following a
conservatively treated avulsion fracture of the greater trochanter 12 weeks
previously with a 14-year history of total hip arthroplasty.
EMG analysis showed
muscle activity increased with TheraTogs and decreased with crutches compared
with walking with no aids. Walking speed improved at a faster rate in the
TheraTogs phase than in the crutches phase and reduced in no-walking-aids phase.
Mean speed (SD) for each phase was: crutches 1.11 (0.08) m/s, TheraTogs 1.35
(0.11) m/s, and no-aids 1.19 (0.14) m/s. Trunk sway increased in the crutch and
no-aids phases, and became more stable in the TheraTogs phase. In this patient,
function and recovery rate of all measured parameters increased more in the
TheraTogs phase than the crutches or no-aids phase.
This may be because muscle
activity was facilitated enabling active support of recovering structures.

Langue : ANGLAIS