Influence of spinal cord integrity on gait control in human spinal cord injury

This study examines how spinal cord injuries affect walking. It goes beyond simple measures like speed and distance to understand the specific ways gait is altered. Researchers used detailed motion tracking to analyze the gait of individuals with motor incomplete SCI and compared it to healthy controls. The study identified distinct clusters of gait parameters that are controlled differently after a spinal cord injury, providing a more detailed understanding of walking impairments.

• 1
  Walking speed, intralimb coordination, and spinal cord integrity are strongly related, explaining a large portion of the variance in walking outcomes.
• 2
  Gait-cycle variables (step length, gait-cycle phases, cadence) remained relatively normal with respect to regained walking speed in SCI patients.
• 3
  Hip and knee ranges of motion were distinctly altered with respect to walking speed in individuals with motor incomplete SCI.