Abnormal Gait and Neuromuscular Dysfunction Analysis in Patients with Lumbar Disc Herniation

Abstract

Abstract The lumbar disc herniation (LDH) has become one of the most common orthopedic diseases. But the effects of LDH on the gait and neuromuscular activities have not been well understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the biomechanical and neuromuscular characteristics in LDH during walking. Sixteen patients with LDH and seven healthy subjects participated in the experiment. All the subjects were required to walk straight along a 5-meters line drawn on the ground at their usual speed. During walking, gait kinematic signals and surface electromyography (sEMG) signals were recorded simultaneously. Seven gait parameters (step length, stride length, step width, cadence, double support phase, single support phase and speed) were extracted for gait assessment. Root mean square (RMS) and median frequency (MDF) of the sEMG signals were extracted for evaluation of neuromuscular function. The bivariate correlation analysis was applied to examine the correlation between gait and muscle activation parameters. The patients with LDH showed decreased cadence, increased muscular activation and increased correlation between single support phase and muscle activation. The LDH can result in slower steps and increased muscle activation, indicating decreased gait flexibility and increased energy consumption in patients with LDH during walking. This study sheds light on the abnormal gait and neuromuscular dysfunction in the LDH patients. The methodology developed in this study may facilitate functional evaluation of LDH.