Overground walking patterns after chronic incomplete spinal cord injury show distinct response patterns to unloading

This study investigates how people with incomplete spinal cord injuries (iSCI) adapt their walking when using body weight support (BWS) during overground walking, compared to healthy individuals. The researchers analyzed the walking patterns of 12 individuals with chronic iSCI (CiSCI) at different levels of BWS and compared them to a control group. The findings showed that while both groups adjusted their walking speed and timing similarly, the CiSCI group did not adapt their joint movements and coordination as effectively as the control group.

• 1
  Controls proportionally adjusted temporal parameters, single joint trajectories, and intralimb coordination to unloading levels, while spatial parameters were unaffected.
• 2
  CiSCI adapted temporal parameters similarly to controls but did not adjust intralimb coordination or single joint trajectories to the level of unloading.
• 3
  Continuous, dynamic unloading during overground walking leads to subtle gait adjustments corresponding to changes in body load.