Altered dynamic postural control during gait termination following concussion.
Jessie R Oldham, Barry A Munkasy, Kelsey M Evans and 2 others
PMID 27522565WHAT IT FOUND
At the first post-concussion test, athletes with concussion changed how they stopped walking.
They shifted foot pressure less sideways while braking and more forward while transitioning. Controls did not change. This is a lab finding, not a bedside test yet.
Key findings
01At Day-1, the concussion group's side-to-side foot pressure shift during braking decreased by 4.8 cm from baseline, while controls changed by only 0.4 cm.
02At Day-1, the concussion group's forward foot pressure shift during the transition to standing increased by 9.1 cm from baseline, while controls changed by 0.1 cm.
03The final stabilization phase did not show a significant change in foot pressure displacement or velocity.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only 38 participants were studied, all from one institution, so the result may not apply to other age groups or settings. The concussion group was tested at a median of 118 days after baseline, while controls were retested one week later, so testing time differed between groups. Outcomes were measured with force plates in a laboratory, and the authors state these are laboratory rather than clinical outcomes. The study measured only kinetic data, not movement or muscle activity, so it cannot show the specific neuromuscular mechanisms. Only Day-1 after concussion was assessed, so it does not show how long the changes last. Some participants had prior concussion history, although baseline groups did not differ.
Declared interests
The authors state there are no conflicts of interest associated with the study.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the altered foot pressure as a clinical diagnostic sign. The study used force plates in a laboratory, tested only Day-1 after concussion, and the authors say these are laboratory rather than clinical outcomes.