Multiple sclerosis (MS) causes severe gait problems in relatively young
individuals, yet there have been limited studies to quantitatively
identify the specific gait parameters which are affected. The purpose of
this study was to define any differences in biomechanical gait
parameters between patients with MS and healthy controls. A total of 31
MS patients and 31 healthy controls were evaluated where joint torques
and joint powers were calculated at the ankle, knee, and hip during the
stance phase of gait. The self-selected walking velocity was used as a
covariate in the analysis to ensure that group differences were not due
to differences in walking velocity between the MS and healthy control
groups. Reduced angular range, less joint torque, and reduced joint
power were seen in patients with MS. We also found significant
correlations between biomechanical gait parameters and EDSS score which
provides a clinical rating of disease severity. Our findings provide a
quantitative assessment of the gait mechanics employed in patients with
MS. The altered lower extremity mechanics observed in patients with MS
reflect both a neurological and strength deficit compared with healthy
controls during walking.
There are lots of posts on walking and gait problems in MS, this study suggests that there in differences in the mechanics of how one walks.Labels: Walking