Temporal-spatial parameters of Gait in Youths with Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
Mentor 1
Brooke Slavens
Location
Union Wisconsin Room
Start Date
27-4-2018 1:00 PM
Description
Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) is a disorder that affects connective tissues, primarily the skin, joints, and blood vessel walls. Symptoms include overly flexible joints that can dislocate, creating joint instability and problems with balance. There is currently a lack of knowledge on the effect of these symptoms on the gait of youths with hEDS. This study will fill that gap by quantifying temporal-spatial parameters of gait in children. Participants, ages 8-18 years old, with hEDS, will be recruited from the Genetics Center at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. The subjects will undergo motion analysis using a 15 camera Vicon system and 14 retro-reflective markers following the Vicon lower-extremity Plug-in Gait model. The subjects will walk on 4 force plates, embedded in and level with the lab floor, at both a self-selected and a slow pace. Data from the motion analysis will be labeled, filtered, and modeled using Vicon Nexus software. Temporal-spatial parameters, such as stride length, step width and double vs single leg support time will be calculated for 3 gait cycles per subject for each task. The group average of the hEDS participants will then be compared to healthy gait data from the literature. Identification of differences between those with hEDS and healthy individuals may provide insight to balance issues while walking and thus the potential for fall risk and the development of pain and injury increase over time. With this knowledge physical therapists may be able to work with hEDS patients to improve balance, effectively decreasing their risk of fall and injury. This study is a part of a larger ongoing project to define the biomedical phenotype in youths with hEDS to increase our understanding of the disease to improve diagnosis and treatment planning.
Temporal-spatial parameters of Gait in Youths with Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
Union Wisconsin Room
Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) is a disorder that affects connective tissues, primarily the skin, joints, and blood vessel walls. Symptoms include overly flexible joints that can dislocate, creating joint instability and problems with balance. There is currently a lack of knowledge on the effect of these symptoms on the gait of youths with hEDS. This study will fill that gap by quantifying temporal-spatial parameters of gait in children. Participants, ages 8-18 years old, with hEDS, will be recruited from the Genetics Center at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. The subjects will undergo motion analysis using a 15 camera Vicon system and 14 retro-reflective markers following the Vicon lower-extremity Plug-in Gait model. The subjects will walk on 4 force plates, embedded in and level with the lab floor, at both a self-selected and a slow pace. Data from the motion analysis will be labeled, filtered, and modeled using Vicon Nexus software. Temporal-spatial parameters, such as stride length, step width and double vs single leg support time will be calculated for 3 gait cycles per subject for each task. The group average of the hEDS participants will then be compared to healthy gait data from the literature. Identification of differences between those with hEDS and healthy individuals may provide insight to balance issues while walking and thus the potential for fall risk and the development of pain and injury increase over time. With this knowledge physical therapists may be able to work with hEDS patients to improve balance, effectively decreasing their risk of fall and injury. This study is a part of a larger ongoing project to define the biomedical phenotype in youths with hEDS to increase our understanding of the disease to improve diagnosis and treatment planning.
