THE EFFECTS OF PERIPHERAL VASCULAR DISEASE ON GAIT

Abstract

177 This study was designed to determine whether patients with peripheral vascular disease (PVD) have gait abnormalities. A previous study on humans with PVD found no abnormalities while significant gait changes were seen with a rat model of PVD. The study population was comprised of 7 controls and 5 PVD subjects (all males). All PVD subjects experienced more intense pain in their right leg. Subjects ranged in age from 55-82 years of age, with a mean age of 70. The GaitMat II system was used to measure both spatial and temporal parameters of gait. Plantar flexion strength was also measured. Subjects walked across the mat, four to six times, at their comfortable walking speed. PVD subjects then walked on a treadmill until they experienced moderate claudication pain and felt they had to stop (pain levels between 6-8 with maximal pain = 10). Control subjects walked for ten minutes without pain. All subjects repeated the gait tests on the GaitMat II system immediately after treadmill walking. In addition, subjects repeated the study on a different day. All PVD subjects reported claudication pain during the gait tests after treadmill walking. PVD subjects had decreased velocity compared to controls(1.09 versus 1.24 m/s, p = 0.008) and reduced plantar-flexor strength (p=0.004 left and p= 0.001 right). In addition, PVD subjects showed asymmetrical relative step length (p=0.013) and stride length (p=0.015) consistent with their `bad' leg. The abnormalities in PVD subjects were reproducible between testing days and were not different in the presence or absence of claudication pain. While preliminary, this study suggests that PVD is associated with small but measurable changes in gait.