Six-Minute Walk Test in Individuals With Unilateral Lower Limb Amputations

Abstract

Background: The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is one of the common clinical tests to assess rehabilitation progress and needs in individuals with lower-limb amputation (iLLAs). However, the analysis of this test is mostly limited to the distance parameter. The first aim was to investigate effort intensity and spatiotemporal parameters of 6MWT in iLLAs using inertial measurement units (IMUs) and heart rate (HR) monitor, and second, to assess physical, physiological, and pain-related aspects of fatigue over 6MWT. Methods: Eleven unilateral iLLAs (57.91±15.63 years old) participated in this study. To evaluate HR and spatiotemporal parameters over 6MWT, data were classified using 6 intervals of 1 minute each (I1-I6). The pain level of participants was estimated using the visual analog scale (VAS). Results: Our results showed that the means of normalized HR gradually increased over 6MWT (I1: 61.59±10.73 HRmax%, I6: 70.15±12.26 HRmax%, P =.003). Variability of HR during the first interval of 6MWT was higher than the others (P