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Table 3 Data on 3D gait biomechanics and satisfaction

From: Stiffness modification of two ankle-foot orthosis types to optimize gait in individuals with non-spastic calf muscle weakness – a proof-of-concept study

 

Shoes-only1

DLS-k1

DLS-k2

DLS-k3

DLS-k4

DLS-k5

Shoes-only2

SH-k1

SH-k2

SH-k3

SH-k4

SH-k5

Speed (m•s−1)

Subject A

1.11 (0.03)

1.12 (0.04)

1.14 (0.03)

1.12 (0.04)

1.15 (0.03)

1.11 (0.02)

1.07 (0.02)

1.02 (0.03)

0.93 (0.04)

1.01 (0.04)

1.02 (0.04)

1.01 (0.02)

Subject B

1.27 (0.02)

1.32 (0.02)

1.35 (0.02)

1.28 (0.03)

1.31 (0.01)

1.33 (0.02)

N/A

1.20 (0.02)

1.24 (0.05)

1.13 (0.02)

1.25 (0.02)

1.20 (0.01)

Subject C

1.45 (0.03)

1.50 (0.04)

1.49 (0.05)

1.50 (0.03)

1.55 (0.05)

1.55 (0.04)

1.43 (0.03)

1.34 (0.05)

1.38 (0.04)

1.33 (0.03)

1.31 (0.03)

1.27 (0.04)

Maximum ankle angle stance (°)†; positive values are dorsiflexion, negative values plantarflexion

Subject A

25.9 (1.1)

18.8 (1.1)

18.8 (0.6)

13.8 (0.7)

12.1 (0.7)

10.4 (0.8)

23.6 (0.7)

15.7 (0.5)

13.9 (1.3)

14.7 (1.6)

15.5 (0.9)

13.5 (1.3)

Subject B

15.7 (1.0)

14.1 (0.7)

12.6 (0.7)

10.9 (0.5)

8.9 (0.3)

9.0 (0.3)

N/A

13.5 (0.8)

12.2 (1.2)

12.1 (1.1)

9.4 (1.6)

8.0 (0.4)

Subject C

16.6 (2.3)

17.7 (1.2)

22.1 (1.5)

17.3 (0.9)

14.4 (1.9)

10.9 (1.5)

12.3 (3.7)

16.1 (2.8)

17.0 (0.7)

13.6 (0.6)

15.1 (2.2)

10.1 (1.0)

Minimum ankle angle loading response (°)†; positive values are dorsiflexion, negative values plantarflexion

Subject A

−8.0 (1.0)

−11.9 (1.9)

−10.4 (1.5)

−10.0 (1.3)

−8.0 (0.8)

−8.1 (0.9)

−5.9 (1.2)

−9.7 (0.5)

−7.8 (0.9)

−9.8 (0.9)

−8.7 (0.5)

−9.7 (2.0)

Subject B

−14.8 (1.1)

−5.9 (1.0)

−5.1 (0.9)

−4.1 (0.6)

−3.4 (0.2)

−3.5 (0.6)

N/A

−4.6 (0.9)

−7.3 (1.7)

−5.4 (0.1)

−6.4 (1.7)

−5.9 (0.5)

Subject C

−15.9 (4.9)

−11.8 (1.9)

−7.5 (0.8)

−8.9 (1.4)

−6.4 (2.1)

−6.2 (0.8)

−20.1 (4.0)

−8.6 (3.8)

−4.9 (1.0)

−5.8 (1.5)

−4.6 (1.3)

−3.8 (1.4)

Maximum internal ankle moment single stance (N•m•kg− 1); positive values are plantarflexion, negative values dorsiflexion

Subject A

1.00 (0.04)

1.05 (0.06)

1.07 (0.05)

1.11 (0.06)

1.12 (0.02)

1.08 (0.03)

1.10 (0.04)

1.14 (0.10)

0.95 (0.07)

1.16 (0.13)

1.32 (0.10)

1.33 (0.06)

Subject B

1.07 (0.04)

1.25 (0.02)

1.26 (0.03)

1.26 (0.02)

1.27 (0.02)

1.26 (0.03)

N/A

0.81 (0.04)

0.85 (0.02)

0.80 (0.002)

0.82 (0.02)

0.80 (0.02)

Subject C

0.91 (0.06)

0.64 (0.03)

0.76 (0.08)

0.79 (0.10)

0.90 (0.06)

0.98 (0.06)

0.75 (0.11)

1.29 (0.05)

1.19 (0.12)

1.11 (0.09)

1.10 (0.07)

1.11 (0.06)

Maximum ankle power single stance (Watt•kg−1); positive values are power generation, negative values absorption

Subject A

2.6 (0.2)

2.2 (0.2)

2.1 (0.2)

1.8 (0.3)

1.4 (0.2)

1.3 (0.1)

2.3 (0.2)

1.7 (0.2)

1.1 (0.1)

1.7 (0.2)

1.9 (0.2)

1.7 (0.2)

Subject B

1.5 (0.1)

1.7 (0.1)

1.7 (0.1)

1.4 (0.1)

1.3 (0.1)

1.2 (0.1)

N/A

1.2 (0.2)

1.2 (0.1)

1.1 (0.1)

0.9 (0.1)

0.8 (0.1)

Subject C

1.2 (0.2)

1.5 (0.1)

1.9 (0.2)

1.9 (0.3)

1.5 (0.2)

1.4 (0.1)

0.7 (0.3)

0.6 (0.04)

0.8 (0.2)

0.6 (0.04)

0.9 (0.1)

0.8 (0.1)

Minimum knee angle single stance (°); positive values are flexion, negative values extension

Subject A

5.1 (0.9)

6.1 (1.4)

4.3 (1.1)

−0.4 (0.4)

1.7 (0.4)

−0.2 (0.5)

7.2 (0.8)

8.1 (0.7)

7.1 (0.9)

7.3 (1.2)

7.3 (1.5)

5.1 (0.6)

Subject B

2.8 (0.5)

4.0 (0.2)

3.1 (0.6)

4.4 (0.6)

3.3 (0.2)

3.2 (0.6)

N/A

−1.7 (0.5)

−1.5 (0.3)

−0.6 (2.7)

−2.7 (0.5)

−2.7 (0.3)

Subject C

16.8 (1.3)

1.6 (0.8)

1.4 (2.0)

−0.1 (0.7)

−1.6 (0.5)

−1.0 (4.0)

16.4 (3.7)

19.5 (7.2)

12.6 (10.3)

20.5 (3.8)

19.8 (7.4)

18.8 (6.8)

Maximum knee angle early stance (°); positive values are flexion, negative values extension

Subject A

17.6 (2.7)

16.5 (1.0)

17.6 (2.8)

12.4 (1.2)

16.5 (2.4)

15.4 (1.1)

16.3 (1.7)

16.9 (1.7)

16.1 (1.7)

16.2 (0.7)

19.0 (2.0)

17.1 (0.3)

Subject B

25.8 (1.3)

25.9 (1.5)

28.5 (1.0)

26.3 (1.8)

28.6 (1.1)

27.8 (1.3)

N/A

19.9 (0.6)

20.4 (1.6)

22.8 (2.8)

20.6 (1.5)

20.8 (1.0)

Subject C

27.6 (1.5)

23.7 (3.5)

24.9 (4.6)

26.3 (3.1)

23.2 (1.7)

26.1 (2.9)

30.3 (4.2)

27.5 (3.2)

29.1 (2.2)

33.0 (4.0)

31.4 (3.5)

30.6 (5.5)

Minimum internal knee moment single stance (N•m•kg−1); positive values are extension, negative flexion

Subject A

0.14 (0.03)

0.14 (0.07)

0.10 (0.08)

−0.09 (0.05)

−0.03 (0.04)

−0.07 (0.07)

0.10 (0.03)

0.07 (0.03)

0.06 (0.07)

0.04 (0.04)

0.02 (0.05)

−0.07 (0.03)

Subject B

−0.17 (0.05)

−0.20 (0.03)

−0.27 (0.03)

−0.17 (0.04)

−0.25 (0.01)

−0.22 (0.05)

N/A

−0.15 (0.03)

−0.17 (0.01)

−0.10 (0.19)

−0.22 (0.04)

−0.21 (0.03)

Subject C

0.33 (0.10)

0.09 (0.03)

0.06 (0.07)

−0.01 (0.04)

−0.12 (0.05)

−0.19 (0.14)

0.34 (0.04)

0.25 (0.09)

0.09 (0.20)

0.25 (0.07)

0.27 (0.15)

0.22 (0.16)

Satisfaction about walking (NRS score)§

Subject A

4

5

5

7*

2

6

3

5

5

5

4

5

Subject B

4

6

6

6.5

7

7

N/A

5

8*

6

6

7

Subject C

5

4

3

7

6

8*

6

2

3

4

4

6

  1. Subject A: calf muscle strength MRC 4, subject B: calf muscle strength MRC 4, subject C: calf muscle strength MRC 0. Gait biomechanics data are expressed as mean (SD). Shoes-only1 is performed at the DLS-AFO testing day, Shoes-only2 is performed at the SH-AFO testing day (subject B had all AFO conditions tested at one day, therefore only one shoes-only condition was performed)
  2. Loading response: 1–10% gait cycle, early stance: 1–20% gait cycle, †: plantar and dorsiflexion angles are relative to the ankle angle at initial contact, §: satisfaction about walking in general when walking on shoes-only and with different AFO stiffness scored on a numeric rating scale (NRS) with 10 as highest satisfaction, *: quotes about the most satisfying condition: subject A: “was just sufficient for my remaining muscle force; it supports, but obstructs not too much”. Subject B: “it gives support, but not annoyingly. I like the design of the SH-AFO, the ankle feels not completely blocked in an angle of 90 degrees”. Subject C about all SH-AFO conditions and DLS-AFO-k1 and k2: “too compliant, does hardly anything”. About DLS-AFO-k3 he said: “support starts to increase”, and about the DLS-AFO-k5 “giving the best support”
  3. Abbreviations: DLS: dorsal-leaf-spring ankle-foot-orthosis, SH: spring-hinged ankle-foot-orthosis, k: stiffness (from most compliant (k1) to most stiff (k5)), N/A: not applicable