Use of dynamic movement orthoses as rehabilitative method to improve gait stability in ataxic patients

Abstract

Patients with cerebellar ataxia have an irregular gait with a high variability of all time–distance parameters and wide trunk oscillations, alterations linked to dynamic instability. In order to reduce such instability, we propose the use of dynamic movement orthoses (DMO). Thus, we aimed at quantitatively evaluating the effect of the DMO use on gait in a sample of ataxic patients. Gait analysis of 10 ataxic patients was performed without and with the customized DMO. In addition to the joint kinematics, the variability of spatiotemporal parameters, as well as shoulder and pelvis ranges of motion in the anterior-posterior and medio-lateral directions were investigated. With DMO, ataxic patients showed a reduction of the variability of the spatio-temporal parameters and a reduction of shoulder and pelvis range of motion in the mediolateral direction. Moreover, knee and ankle joint kinematics was improved by the use of DMO.