Effects of Real-time Feedback During Decline Walking on Kinematic and Kinetic Gait Parameters in a Healthy Population (Up_and_Down)

Effects of Real-time Feedback During Decline Walking on Kinematic and Kinetic Gait Parameters (Up & Down)

Control of the dynamic functional leg alignment (dFLA) and biomechanical load are important joint related aspects regarding the development of osteoarthritis (OA). Research on level walking with feedback on load related parameters provided innovative treatment possibilities. Concerning walking on sloped surfaces, fundamental biomechanical knowledge exists. However, deeper insights into the control of the dFLA during decline walking, and the usefulness of real-time feedback are missing.

This study is set up as cross-sectional observation of gait under four conditions, which follows a randomized sequence in order to avoid carry over effects. Thirty (30) participants aged between 18 and 35 years will be included. They will complete a three-dimensional gait analysis on a 5-m ramp with 10° inclination. Afterwards they will be observed under four different conditions a) self-paced walking b) self-paced walking with internal focus of attention, c) self-paced walking with real-time feedback, and d) condition c speed-matched walking, on a 10° declined split belt treadmill. The primary outcome parameter will be the frontal knee range of motion (fKROM). Secondary outcomes include the ground reaction force loading rate, spatial-temporal parameters, sagittal frontal and transversal kinematics, and kinetics for the lower extremities.

The findings should improve the understanding of effects of real-time feedback on the control of the dFLA and lower limb loading. Results will be published in a peer-review journal.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Healthy
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Decline Walking with real-time Feedback

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 30
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Austria
  • Vienna, Austria, 1100
    • FH Campus Wien, University of Applied Sciences

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 35 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. age from 18-35 years
2. body mass index from 18.5 to 29.99 kg/m²
3. no chronical joint diseases and/or OA surgery
4. no neuro-motor diseases

Exclusion Criteria:

1. non-physiological and non-symmetrical gait patterns
2. severe outliers (more than two standard deviations)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Walking decline; Walking decline on an instrumented treadmill under 3 different conditions

Other: Decline Walking with real-time Feedback; Participants are walking decline with self-paced speed on an instrumented treadmill with virtual reality projection under three conditions: without instruction, with instruction for an internal focus of attention and with real-time feedback of their frontal knee alignment; Other Names: Decline Walking with increased internal focus of attention; Decline Walking

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
frontal knee range of motion during stance phase	frontal knee range of motion [degree]	during intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
ground reaction force loading ratio	ground reaction force loading ratio [newton per second]	during intervention

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
3D kinematics of the lower limb	joint angles [degree]	during intervention
3D kinetics of the lower limb	external joint moments [newtonmetre per kilogram bodyweight] frontal knee moment impulses [newtonmeter per kilogram bodyweight per second]	during intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Klaus Widhalm

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Widhalm K, Durstberger S, Putz P. Effects of real-time feedback during decline walking on kinematic and kinetic gait parameters in a healthy population: study protocol for a randomized trial - up and down. Trials. 2021 Jul 22;22(1):477. doi: 10.1186/s13063-021-05422-2.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 26, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 27, 2021
• Study Completion (Actual): May 25, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 17, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 17, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): February 21, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 26, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 25, 2021
• Last Verified: May 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Treadmill; Kinematic; Kinetic; Real-time feedback; Decline walking; Leg alignment
• Other Study ID Numbers: project2010559

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: A manuscript will be submitted to a journal with peer review process aiming for an open access publication. Coded raw data will be made available upon request and for non-commercial purposes after publication of the results.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No