A usability study on the inGAIT-VSO: effects of a variable-stiffness ankle-foot orthosis on the walking performance of children with cerebral palsy.
Luc van Noort, Nikko Van Crey, Elliott J Rouse and 3 others
PMID 39090725WHAT IT FOUND
In six children with cerebral palsy, a variable-stiffness ankle orthosis significantly lowered the physiological cost of walking by 45.26% without reducing distance walked.
It did not improve speed or balance. Usability was rated good or excellent by five of six participants.
Key findings
01Using the orthosis at the best-performing stiffness significantly reduced the physiological cost index (PCI) by 45.26% compared to the child's normal walking condition (shoes only or their own AFO).
02Walking distance during the two-minute walk test increased by 9.14% on average, but this difference was not statistically significant.
03Five of the six children with cerebral palsy rated the device's usability as good or excellent on the System Usability Scale; one rated it poor, potentially due to concurrent walker use.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Very small sample size (n=6 CP) with high heterogeneity in gait patterns (crouch, equinus, jump), limiting generalizability. The 'best' stiffness was selected using a novel, unvalidated formula weighted by the researchers' logical reasoning. The two-minute walk test may be too short to reach a steady-state heart rate for accurate PCI calculation. Testing was conducted in a controlled laboratory environment, which may not reflect daily life demands. One participant used a walker, which likely influenced their poor usability rating and gait performance.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by the National Science Foundation, Michigan Translation Research and Commercialization Award, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, and Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC).
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the 45.26% reduction in physiological cost index as a proven clinical benefit for speed or endurance. The study was a small pilot that found no significant difference in walking distance or speed, and the reduction in energy cost was not perceived by the participants as less effort.