Immediate effect of weight load on lower limb muscle activity and gait ability in patients with incomplete spinal cord injury during walker gait training

This study investigates how using a walker that gives feedback on how much weight someone is putting on it affects their leg muscle activity and walking ability. The goal was to see if reducing how much someone relies on the walker can improve their gait. The study involved patients with incomplete spinal cord injuries (ISCI). They walked using a special walker (DFW) that provided auditory and visual feedback when they exceeded certain weight-bearing thresholds, set at 100%, 60%, and 20% of their initial walker dependence. The results showed that when patients reduced their reliance on the walker (20% dependence), their leg muscle activity increased and their walking ability improved compared to when they relied more on the walker (100% dependence). This suggests that using feedback to reduce walker dependence can enhance muscle activity and gait in ISCI patients.

• 1
  The increase in lower limb muscle activation was greater during 20% walker dependence gait training compared to 100% walker dependence gait training.
• 2
  Gait ability, measured by velocity, cadence, and single-limb support phase, improved significantly during 20% walker dependence gait training compared to 100% and 60% walker dependence gait training.
• 3
  Voluntary limitation of walker dependence by extrinsic feedback generated via DFW could induce a weight-bearing increase in the lower limbs in the stance phase.