| Description |
Tibial fractures account for half a million hospitalizations per year. Although clinical treatment of tibial fractures requires immobilization of the affected limb and partial weight bearing (PWB) prescriptions, the effects of this treatment protocol on gait and muscle activity have not been studied. This study aimed to provide the first comprehensive biomechanical analysis of changes in muscle activity and gait parameters induced by immobilization and PWB. Fifteen participants were recruited to walk across a pair of force plates in a motion capture lab under five different walking conditions: normal walking, immobilization without PWB, and immobilization with 25%, 50%, and 75% PWB. Motion was captured using 15 tracking balls with a ten-camera system, and muscle activity was quantified using surface electromyography on eight different muscle groups in the leg. Kinematic data revealed that immobilization and PWB decreased participant cadence and increased ratio of time spent on the immobilized limb during a single gait cycle. Kinetic data showed generally poor patient compliance with PWB prescriptions and no statistically significant difference between 25% PWB and normal walking conditions. Additionally, statistically significant differences were found in the soleus, hamstrings, and rectus femoris upon immobilization and PWB. These results reveal for the first time the short-term influences of immobilization and PWB on lower leg muscles and gait parameters. |
