This pilot study examined proposed accessibility guidelines for running slope and cross slope and the perceived difficulty ratings of individuals with mobility limitations. Participants were 23 men ...and women, 23 to 67 years, with vision or mobility limitations who walked at their preferred pace before rating the path difficulty (1 to 10 scale). Paths meeting the proposed accessibility guidelines were rated as either easy or moderate for difficulty of use. Slopes exceeding the guidelines may also be acceptable for very short distances or on hard/paved surfaces. Future research should include a large representative population, evaluate surface firmness, and examine different perceptions between ambulatory individuals and wheelchair users.
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NUK, OILJ, SAZU, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Prosthetic feet have been developed with the intention that they deform during the first half of the stance phase to store energy that can be released at the end of stance and contribute to push-off. ...The purpose of this study was to examine the three-dimensional kinematics and kinetics of gait and metabolic energy cost in children and adolescents with below-knee amputations using the SACH and Seattle prosthetic feet. The metabolic test consisted of an 8-min walk around an oval track while expired gases were collected and analyzed. The biomechanical test consisted of 10 walking trials: 5 for each of the prosthetic and sound limbs. Stance and swing phase moments and powers were calculated for both the prosthetic and sound limbs. A four-camera VICON system recorded movements of the limb segments to calculate joint kinematics, and these were combined with ground reaction force data in a three-dimensional model to determine moments and powers about the hip, knee and ankle joints. The Seattle foot produced a small increase in stride length, which led to a small increase in walking velocity. Biomechanical data revealed that the Seattle foot was less resistant to passive dorsiflexion in midstance, and although there was no effect on the work done across the prosthetic ankle, a knee flexor moment dominated the stance phase when the SACH foot was tested, whereas the Seattle foot allowed a normal extensor moment. The profile of work was unaffected by the type of foot. On the sound side, the hip produced most of the positive work while the ankle output was below normal.
An arm ergometer analog of the Canadian Aerobic Fitness Test (CAFT) has been proposed for subjects with impairments of mobility (Longmuir & Shephard, 1995). Because of muscle weakness or spasm, only ...63% of the adults concerned could maintain the required cadence in the original test version. Thus, in the present study it was hypothesized that a reduced crank loading would yield a higher success rate. In a sample of 35 adults with mobility impairment, 82% were able to complete at least one stage of the modified test. Difficulty was encountered mainly by persons with cerebral palsy or multiple sclerosis. The revised protocol had a high (
r
= .97) 1-week test/retest reliability, with no test/retest bias except that subjects with brain lesions scored somewhat higher at their second assessment. A scaled prediction of peak oxygen intake using the standard CAFT equation agreed closely with direct arm ergometer determinations of it. The modified test showed a mean discrepancy ±
SD
of 0.1 ± 4.8 ml/kg · min. Further validation is needed, but the current analog of the standard CAFT appears to be useful for many with mobility impairments.
To date, very little published information has been available on the physical activity participation of disabled youth. A questionnaire, which was modified from the Canada Fitness Survey, was ...distributed by mail to physically disabled, sensory impaired, and chronically ill children and adolescents in Ontario, Canada. Nine hundred eighty-seven responses were collected from subjects 6 to 20 years of age, with a response rate of 58%. Twenty-nine percent of physically challenged youth were found to be sedentary, and 39% were active. Activity levels were significantly related to age (
p
< .01), with a marked decline in the second decade of life. Activity levels were not significantly influenced by gender, but the data suggest that girls have lower activity levels and a faster and earlier decline in activity than boys. Overall, the data collected provide baseline information on the role of physical activity in the lives of Ontario youth with physical disabilities, sensory impairments, and chronic illnesses.
The Arm CAFT is a simple submaximal arm ergometer test for subjects with mobility disabilities, designed to match the Canadian Aerobic Fitness Test (CAFT) in both administration and interpretation. ...It is here evaluated relative to direct arm ergometer measurements of peak oxygen intake in 41 men and women with mobility disabilities, aged 20-60, who were attending an “integrated” sports facility. Peak oxygen intake was predicted using the original CAFT equation, but the oxygen cost of arm ergometer test stages was substituted and predictions were scaled downward by 70/100 to allow for the lower peak aerobic power of the upper limbs. In 16 subjects who maintained cranking cadence, predictions were reliable over 1 week, with a small increase of score at the second test. Although the Arm CAFT protocol is reliable and free of bias, it has only a limited validity, and only a minority of the stronger individuals with mobility disabilities can sustain the required cranking rhythm.
Children with congenital heart defects often demonstrate a reduced capacity for exercise, even after surgical intervention. Forty subjects, with various heart defects, completed a 5-year study to ...evaluate the impact of a postoperative training program on their physical exercise capacity. All of the patients were significantly less active than their peers prior to the surgical intervention. Subjects who completed a simple, home exercise program during the first 3 postoperative months achieved a normal level of physical fitness. These benefits were maintained up to 5-years postoperatively without further intervention. Children who did not receive a postoperative training program remained significantly below their healthy peers. Therefore, a simple exercise training program, conducted early in the postoperative period would appear essential to the achievement of appropriate levels of physical activity for children with congenital heart defects.
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