J Korean Acad Rehabil Med.  1999 Feb;23(1):17-23.

The Effects of Shoes Modification on Energy Consumption in Hemiplegic Gait

• Seo JH
• Ko MH
• Kim YH

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of a contralateral shoe-lift and ipsilateral leather outsole on the energy consumption in hemiplegic gait. METHOD: Ten hemiplegic patients who could walk independently were enrolled. Using portable ergospirometer (K4b2, Cosmed, Italy), quantitative evaluation of oxygen consumption under varying shoes conditions was done: 1) regular shoes 2) a half-inch shoe-lift on the sound side 3) a half-inch shoe-lift on the sound side and leather outsole on the plegic side. The evaluation distance was 20 meter on comfortable walking speed.
RESULTS
The oxygen consumption was significantly decreased after the application of shoe-lift compared with regular shoes (p<0.01), and the oxygen consumption was least with the application of shoe-lift and leather outsole (p<0.05). This effect was prominent in subject with poor muscle power in hemiplegic lower extremity. The walking speed was also increased with shoe-lift and leather outsole (p<0.05).
CONCLUSION
The results of this study demonstrate that proper shoes modification can reduce the energy consumption in hemiplegic gait and can lead to more efficient functional ambulation.

Keyword

Hemiplegic gait; Energy consumption; Shoes modification

MeSH Terms

Evaluation Studies as Topic
Gait Disorders, Neurologic*
Humans
Lower Extremity
Oxygen Consumption
Shoes*
Walking