Level walking and ambulatory capacity in persons with incomplete spinal cord injury: relationship with muscle strength

This study investigates the connection between lower body muscle strength and walking ability in people with incomplete spinal cord injuries. It looks at how individual muscle strength affects walking speed, endurance, and overall walking independence. The research found that the strength of certain hip muscles is particularly important for walking performance. Specifically, the strength of these muscles on the less affected side of the body has a significant impact. The findings suggest that focusing on strengthening key hip muscles could improve walking ability in individuals with incomplete spinal cord injuries. Also, assessing walking performance should involve both speed measurements and broader measures of walking independence.

• 1
  Hip flexors, extensors, and abductors showed the highest correlations with functional walking measures on both sides of the body.
• 2
  The strength of the less affected hip flexors significantly predicted gait speed and six-minute walk distance, while the less affected hip extensors predicted ambulatory capacity.
• 3
  The strength of the less affected limb was generally more important than that of the more affected limb for all three functional walking measures.