Analysis of Plantar Foot Pressure during the Non-crutch, Two-point, and Four-point Crutch Gait performed by Healthy Volunteers

[Purpose] The measurement of foot pressure (FP) is widely used for the evaluation of gait. The fluctuating changes of FP parameters according to various types of crutch gait, however, are not fully understood. This study examined the changes of FP during normal, two-point, and four-point crutch gait of healthy volunteers. [Subjects] The subjects were thirty-three adults who were 26.5 ± 1.4 years old, weighed 64.2 ± 10.3 kg, and were 168.8 ± 8.7 cm in height. [Methods] FP parameters were collected by a force plate with 2,304 resistive sensors. Regional plantar FP, trajectories of center of pressure (COP) in the anterior-posterior (AP) and the medio-lateral (ML) directions, contact time of foot on the ground, and the relative durations of sub-stages of the stance phase were measured during gait with or without a crutch. [Results] The regional plantar FP significantly decreased during two-point and four-point crutch gait compared with that during normal gait in the AP direction and overall. Analyzed by its trajectory, displacement of COP in the AP direction was significantly smaller during four-point gait than during normal gait. Contact time during two-point and four-point gait was significantly longer than during normal gait. Also, the relative duration of heel contact stage during four-point gait was significantly smaller than during normal gait. The relative durations of the midstance stage during two-point and four-point gait, however, were longer than that of normal gait. [Conclusion] These results suggest that types of gait with or without a crutch affect the fluctuation of FP and that may lead to a change of body position and gait pattern. The present data therefore may be useful for understanding the variations of crutch gait.