The effect of load carriage on the gait of girls with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and normal controls

Chow, Daniel H.K.; Kwok, Monica L.Y.; Au-Yang, Alexander C.K.; Holmes, Andrew D.; Cheng, Jack C.Y.; Yao, Fiona Y.D.; Wong, M.S.

doi:10.1016/j.medengphy.2005.07.013

« Previous Next »Medical Engineering & Physics
Volume 28, Issue 5 , Pages 430-437, June 2006

The effect of load carriage on the gait of girls with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and normal controls

Daniel H.K. Chow
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +852 2766 7674; fax: +852 2362 4365.
Monica L.Y. Kwok
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Alexander C.K. Au-Yang
- Department of Prosthetics and Orthotics, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong
Andrew D. Holmes
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Jack C.Y. Cheng
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong
Fiona Y.D. Yao
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong
M.S. Wong
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Received 19 July 2004; received in revised form 12 May 2005; accepted 7 July 2005. published online 30 August 2005.

Abstract

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and load-bearing both appear to place similar demands on gait, but no data regarding the combined effects of load-bearing gait in subjects with AIS could be found.

The gait patterns of 22 normal adolescent girls and 28 girls with mild AIS (Cobb angle<25°) were recorded at backpack loads of 0, 7.5, 10, 12.5 and 15% body weight. Temporal-distance and joint kinematic, moment and power parameters were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA.

Findings showed that backpack carriage places an increased demand on the musculature of the lower limb and results in a gait characterized by reduced pelvic motion and greater hip flexion–extension. AIS has a generally similar effect on gait kinematics as backpack carriage, with AIS subjects having significantly longer double support durations, shorter single support durations and lower knee joint power generation and absorption than normal subjects. No interaction between backpack load and AIS was found however, although investigation of parameters indicating a critical response to load showed that this typically occurred at lower backpack loads (7.5% body weight) in the AIS group.

Overall, both AIS and load-bearing place increased demands on gait, but carriage of a loaded backpack does not appear to cause any greater demand on subjects with AIS than normal controls.

Keywords: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, Load carriage, Gait