Keiko Onogi, MD, PhD, Izumi Kondo, MD, PhD, Eiichi Saitoh, MD, DMSc, Masaki Kato, RPT, Tamaki Oyobe, RPT
Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 1: 1-6, 2010
Objective: To determine the effi cacy of sliding-type
medial hip joint (Primewalk system) and a hinge-type
medial hip joint (Walkabout system) of knee-anklefoot
orthoses in improving the temporal gait parameters
in patients with paraplegia.
Methods: The subjects were 7 consecutively recruited
patients with paraplegia (6 men and 1 woman; age,
20-45 years). All subjects had got used to the
Walkabout system and were trained using the
Primewalk system for at least 1 month before the
measurements of the temporal gait parameters. The
average gait velocity, cadence, and stride length were
measured. The pelvic rotation angle was additionally
measured in 1 patient.
Results: The average gait velocity was higher, cadence
was faster, and stride was longer with the Primewalk
system than with the Walkabout system. The value for
the step length divided by the pelvic rotation angle
was larger with the Primewalk system than with the
Walkabout system.
Conclusion: The Primewalk system improved the gait
effi ciency by the sliding mechanism that set the virtual
axis of the orthoses hip joint higher than that of the
hinge-type joint.
Key words: paraplegia, gait, orthosis, medial hip joint