Kinematics of walking frame ambulation

Abstract

Gait rehabilitation following lower limb trauma often involves the use of a walking frame. A simple kinematic model, developed to predict joint motion during gait with such frames, suggests consistent, environmentally determined patterns of hip and knee motion which differ substantially from those seen in free gait. The model has been validated using videoanalysis of a sample of ten healthy subjects. Significantly, the hip joint motion is markedly abnormal using a walking frame; since this joint may be the target of the rehabilitation, the use of a frame may be determined in gait retraining. It is desirable in gait retraining that the patterns of joint motion adopted by the patient are as similar to those seen in free gait as possible. Many patients use conventional walking frames as part of the gait rehabilitation process. The rigid construction of the frame and the way in which it is used may impose significant restrictions on the movements of the upper and lower limb joints during walking. Modelling the kinematics of such a gait highlights the frame-determined features of the gait and assists in defining the gait characteristics.