This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Lam, T. Articles by Dietz, V. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Lam, T. Articles by Dietz, V. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Swing Phase Resistance Enhances Flexor Muscle Activity During Treadmill Locomotion in Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury

School of Human Kinetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, tania.lam{at}ubc.ca, International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

Markus Wirz, PT

Spinal Cord Injury Center, Balgrist University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland

Lars Lünenburger, PhD

Spinal Cord Injury Center, Balgrist University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland

Volker Dietz, MD

Spinal Cord Injury Center, Balgrist University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland

Background. This study investigated whether loading the legs during the swing phase of walking enhances flexor muscle activity in ambulatory patients with incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods. Nine patients had surface electromyography (EMG) and joint kinematics recorded from the lower extremities during treadmill walking. Swing phase loading of the legs was achieved by weights (1-3 kg) attached to each lower extremity or by a velocity-dependent resistance applied by the Lokomat robotic gait orthosis. Results. When patients walked with the weights, there was a consistent increase in the activity of the knee flexors and sometimes of hip or ankle flexor activity during swing. Similarly, when the robot applied the velocity-dependent resistance during walking, swing phase flexor EMG activity tended to be greater. Enhanced knee flexion was observed in all patients after the weights or the robot-generated resistance was removed. Conclusions. Flexor muscle activity during swing can be enhanced through additional proprioceptive input in patients with incomplete SCI with brief aftereffects. Further testing of this strategy is necessary to determine if it can improve the gait of ambulatory patients.

Key Words: Spinal cord injury • Locomotion • Swing phase • Robotics.

Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, Vol. 22, No. 5, 438-446 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1545968308315595


CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K. E. Gordon, M. Wu, J. H. Kahn, Y. Y. Dhaher, and B. D. Schmit Ankle Load Modulates Hip Kinetics and EMG During Human Locomotion J Neurophysiol, April 1, 2009; 101(4): 2062 - 2076. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. H. Dobkin Progressive Staging of Pilot Studies to Improve Phase III Trials for Motor Interventions Neurorehabil Neural Repair, March 1, 2009; 23(3): 197 - 206. [Abstract] [PDF]