Gait Analysis in Patients With Parkinson's Disease Off Dopaminergic Therapy
Abstract
Švehlík M, Zwick EB, Steinwender G, Linhart WE, Schwingenschuh P, Katschnig P, Ott E, Enzinger C. Gait analysis in patients with Parkinson's disease off dopaminergic therapy.
Objective
To compare time-distance, kinematic, and kinetic gait parameters in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) off dopaminergic therapy with a group of healthy control subjects.
Design
A group-comparison study.
Setting
Gait analysis laboratory.
Participants
Patients with PD (n=20) and healthy age-matched controls (n=20).
Interventions
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measures
Time-distance, kinematic, and kinetic gait variables.
Results
PD patients walked slower with shorter stride-length, comparable cadence, and longer double support times. Kinematics showed a reduction of the range of motion in the hip, knee, and ankle joints. Maximum hip extension and the ankle plantar flexion were significantly reduced. Kinetic gait parameters showed reduced push-off ankle power and lift-off hip power generation. Strong correlations between these important body advancement mechanisms and the walking velocity were observed.
Conclusions
In addition to previously described dysfunctional kinematics, abnormal kinetic parameters play an important role in the characterization of gait in PD patients off therapy. Hence, these parameters could be used to document treatment effects of parkinsonian gait disorders.
aPaediatric Orthopaedic Unit, Department of Paediatric Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
bDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
cDepartment of Children and Adult Orthopaedics and Traumatology, 2nd Medical School, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
Correspondence to Martin Švehlík, MD, Paediatric Orthopaedic Unit, Department of Paediatric Surgery, Medical University of Graz; Auenbruggerplatz 34, Graz, A-8036, Austria
No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit on the authors or on any organization with which the authors are associated.
ABSTRACT