The effect of ankle joint mobility when using an isocentric reciprocating gait orthosis (IRGO) on energy consumption in people with spinal cord injury: preliminary results

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of walking with isocentric reciprocating gait orthoses (IRGOs) utilizing two designs of ankle foot orthoses (AFOs) on specific outcome measures in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Four volunteer SCI subjects participated in this study, and were fitted with an IRGO equipped with either solid or dorsiflexion-assisted AFOs in a randomized order. Subjects walked at their self-selected speed along a flat walkway to enable a comparison of walking speed, endurance and the resulting physiological cost index (PCI) to be performed. Increased walking speed, increased distance walked and less PCI were demonstrated in walking with the IRGO incorporating dorsiflexion-assisted AFOs as compared to walking with an IRGO plus solid AFO as a control condition. This study demonstrated that people with SCI could walk at relatively higher speeds and with greater endurance and a reduced PCI when utilizing an IRGO with dorsiflexion-assisted AFO components compared to solid ones. It is therefore concluded that the IRGO incorporating dorsiflexion-assisted AFOs may be an effective alternative in helping to reduce the energy consumption experienced by people with SCI.