• PNF and Movement
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.113-128
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• 2024

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effects of eccentric training applied to the calf muscles on muscle tone, muscle strength, and gait variables in patients with chronic stroke. Methods: Twenty-two participants were divided into experimental (n=12; eccentric training) and control (n=10; static stretching and stretching board) groups. The participants completed 30-minute physical therapy sessions five times a week for three weeks. Calf muscle tone, muscle strength, and gait variables were measured using MyotonPRO, a hand-held dynamometer, and Optogait, respectively, before and after each intervention. Results: Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated a significant interaction effect between measurement points and groups in frequency, stiffness, and decrement of the lateral gastrocnemius, medial gastrocnemius, and soleus muscles (p<.05). Paired t-tests showed that the experimental group exhibited significantly decreased frequency and stiffness scores for the lateral gastrocnemius, medial gastrocnemius, and soleus muscles (p<.05), as well as significantly increased decrement and muscle strength scores, gait speed, step length, and stride length (p<.05). Conclusion: The application of eccentric training to the calf effectively reduced muscle tone, increased muscle strength, and improved the gait speed, step length, and stride length of patients with chronic stroke.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.11-19
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• 2010

The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of balance training with 'TETRAX' system, a balance training and assessment tool, on balance and mobility in acute hemiplegic patients. Nineteen matched subjects were assigned randomly into either an experimental group or a control group. An experimental group with 10 subjects received balance training with 'TETRAX' exercise program and conventional physical therapy interventions 5 times per week during 4 weeks. A control group with 9 subjects received conventional physical therapy interventions 5 times per week during 4 weeks. Outcome measures were taken before and after 4 weeks of interventions using the Stroke Rehabilitation Assessment of Movement (STREAM), the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), gait speed, and the fall down index. Results indicated that both exercise groups improved significantly in STREAM, BBS, and gait speed (p<.05). The experimental group had a little improvement than the control group. Both exercise groups did not show statistical significance in fall down index (p<.05). Following 4 weeks of intervention, except gait speed there was no statistically significant difference between two groups. However, these findings suggest that conventional physical therapy interventions with visual feedback training could be effective on improving balance and mobility than conventional physical therapy alone in acute hemiplegic patients.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.21-27
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• 2019

PURPOSE: This study examined the changes in the kinematic variables during walking on a downhill ramp according to the shoe heel height. METHODS: The subjects were 10 adult women with no history of musculoskeletal disorders who agreed to participate in the study. Data were collected using a motion analysis system (VICON) consisting of six infrared cameras. The slope was 120 cm in width, 200 cm in length, and 15 in inclination. To confirm the change in gait parameters (stride length, gait speed) and lower extremity joint angle according to the heel heights of the shoes, flat, 5 cm, and 10 cm heel shoes were prepared and walked alternately. RESULTS: As a result, both the stride length and walking speed showed significant differences according to the heel height between flat and 10 cm (p<.05). In the sagittal plane, there was no significant difference in the hip joint and knee joint, but a significant difference was observed in all events in the ankle joint on all heel heights (p<.05). In particular, the heel strike and mid stance events showed significant differences among all height conditions (p<.05). No significant difference was observed in any of the joint angle changes in the frontal plane (p>.05). CONCLUSION: As the shoe heel height increased, the instability increased and efforts to secure the stability were made, leading to a shortened stride length, walking speed, and angle of the ankle joint.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.50-55
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• 2019

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to identify the relationships between muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical and cognitive functions and to examine the effects of resistive Theraband® exercise on sarcopenia-associated variables in the older population. [Methods] A total of 28 elderly women (age: 69.90 ± 0.8 years) participated in this study, 15 of whom underwent elastic band exercise for 1 hour per day, twice per week for 8 weeks. The correlation analysis was conducted to identify the associations between body composition, skeletal muscle mass indices, grip strength, and physical and cognitive functions. All variables were assessed at baseline and post-exercise. [Results] Skeletal muscle mass was significantly associated with grip strength and physical function. Gait speed was positively correlated with grip strength and physical function, but not with cognitive function. Theraband® exercise significantly improved gait speed and physical function. [Conclusion] The present data suggest that skeletal muscle mass is highly correlated with grip strength and physical function. Eight weeks of resistive Theraband® exercise favorably affects sarcopenia by improving gait speed and mobility of elderly women.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.353-368
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• 2019

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of trunk exercise using less-affected extremities on gait and balance in chronic stroke patients. Methods: Thirty subjects with chronic stroke disease were divided into two groups: a trunk exercise group that used less-affected extremities (n=15) and a general trunk exercise group (n=15). All interventions were conducted 30 min a day, 6 times per week, for 3 weeks. Gait parameters were measured before and after the intervention using Zebris FDM-1.5. In addition, all subjects were evaluated using the Trunk Impairment Scale, the Berg Balance Scale, and the Functional Gait Assessment before and after the intervention. Results: Both groups showed improvements on all outcome measured pre- to post-intervention (p<0.05). The groups exhibited significant differences for TIS, BBS, FGA, gait speed, step length, and cadence at post-intervention (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study showed that trunk exercise using less-affected extremities has therapeutic benefits on gait and balance in individuals with chronic stroke disease.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.273-278
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of three-dimensional virtual reality horse riding simulator training using a head-mounted display on gait and balance in children with cerebral palsy. Methods: Ten children with cerebral palsy were randomly assigned to the horse riding simulator (HRS) group (n=5) or the horse riding simulator with virtual reality (HRSVR) group (n=5). To evaluate balance, center of gravity (COG) sway velocity and total sway distance of each group were assessed using the Wii balance board, and gait speed and stride length of each group were assessed using a gait analysis system. Results: Intra-group comparisons between pre- and post-intervention measures revealed that there were significant changes in all gait and balance variables such as stride length, gait velocity, COG sway velocity and COG sway distance in the HRSVR group (p<0.05). In the HRS group, there were significant changes in all variables except stride length (p<0.05). In addition, inter-group comparisons showed significant differences between the two groups in stride length, gait velocity and COG sway distance except COG sway velocity (p<0.05). Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that horse riding simulator training combined with 3D virtual reality can be a new positive therapeutic approach for improving functional performance in children with cerebral palsy.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.207-211
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• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an 8-week SMR, stretching, and band program on lower limb alignment (distance between the knees, Q angle) and gait (gait speed, stride length, impulse, and peak pressure) in female in their 20s who have genu varum. Method: The participants, female in their 20s who had genu varum, were randomly divided into the SMR, Stretching, and Band group (SSB, n=9), Stretching and Band group (SB, n=9), and Control Group (CG, n=9). Experimental group A (SSB) performed 3 50-minute sessions of the program per week for 8 weeks while the experimental group B (SB) performed stretching and band correctional exercise in 3 40-minute sessions per week for 8 weeks. The control group had no correctional exercise program. Results: Only the SSB group showed a significant increase in gait velocity and stride length in this study. The SSB and SB group showed a significant decrease of impulse on the forefoot after exercise program suggests that SMR and elastic band exercise had a positive effect on the distribution of foot pressure. Conclusion: We concluded that 8-week genu varum correctional exercise program had beneficial effects on the gait parameters (gait velocity, stride length, impulse, peak pressure) in 20s women with genu varum.

• Transactions of the KSME C: Technology and Education
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.153-165
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• 2013

The established gait analysis studies have regarded leg as one single spring. If we can design a knee-ankle actuating mechanism as a primary actuator for supporting knee extension, it might be possible to revolutionary store or release elastic strain energy, which is consumed during the gait cycle, and as a result leg stiffness is expected to increase. An ankle joint actuating mechanism that stores and releases the energy in ankle joint is expected to support and solve excessive artificial leg stiffness caused by the knee actuator (primary actuator) to a reasonable extent. If unnecessary kinematic energy is released with the artificial speed reduction control designed to prevent increase in gait speed caused by increase in time passed, it naturally brings question to the effectiveness of the actuator. As opposed to the already established studies, the authors are currently developing knee-ankle two actuator system under the concept of increasing lower limb stiffness by controlling the speed of gait in relative angular velocity of the two segments. Therefore, the author is convinced that compensatory mechanism caused by knee actuating must exist only in ankle joint. Ankle joint compensatory mechanism can be solved by reverse-examining the change in metatarso-phalangeal joint (MTPJ) tilt angle (${\theta}_1=0^{\circ}$, ${\theta}_2=17^{\circ}$, ${\theta}_3=30^{\circ}$) and the effect of change in gait speed on knee activity.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.20-34
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• 2001

This paper presents the relevance between GMFM and the spatiotemporal parameters of gait in children with cerebral palsy. Twenty-one children ($73.11{\pm}30.06$ months) with cerebral palsy participated in this study. GMFM was performed and spatiotemporal parameters of gait were measured by foot print gait analysis. A correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation between GMFM scores and spatiotemporal parameters of gait. A linear regression analysis was employed to find how much each gait spatiotemporal parameters could be predicted from GMFM scores. The total GMFM scores was significantly correlated with walking speed, cadence, and stride length. Dimensions D (standing) and E (walking, running, and jumping) were more significantly correlated with gait spatiotemporal parameters than dimensions A (lying and rolling), B (sitting), and C (crawling and kneeling). The GMFM scores were useful for predicting spatiotemporal parameters. However, it is difficult to predict the status of gait development using GMFM scores because GMFM scores and gait spatiotemporal parameters are only measured as quantities not qualities. In the field, it is easily found that many children with cerebral palsy are unable to walk in any way. Consequently, gait analysis cannot be performed in many cases. Therefore, it is more reasonable to investigate the influence of GMFM on spatiotemporal parameters, rather than vice versa.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.121-127
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• 2020

The purpose of this paper is to review the validation on the application of low frequency IMU(Inertial Measurement Unit) sensors by replacing high frequency motion analysis systems. Using an infrared-based 3D motion analysis system and IMU sensors (22 Hz) simultaneously, the gait cycle and knee flexion angle were measured. And the accuracy of each gait parameter was compared according to the statistical analysis method. The Bland-Altman plot analysis method was used to verify whether proper accuracy can be obtained when extracting gait parameters with low frequency sensors. As a result of the study, the use of the new gait assessment system was able to identify adequate accuracy in the measurement of cadence and stance phase. In addition, if the number of gait cycles is increased and the results of body anthropometric measurements are reflected in the gait analysis algorithm, is expected to improve accuracy in step length, walking speed, and range of motion measurements. The suggested gait assessment system is expected to make gait analysis more convenient. Furthermore, it will provide patients more accurate assessment and customized rehabilitation program through the quantitative data driven results.