Using Digital Music Technology To Promote Healthy Walking In Non-traumatic Trans-tibial Amputees

To investigate self-selected and music-paced cadence in unilateral non-traumatic trans-tibial amputees. 17 participants (age=52+ or -13 yr; height=1.66+ or -0.16 m; weight=85.0+ or -20.2 kg; BMI=31.5+ or -9.6 kg/m2; 88% male) completed two treadmill walking trials, during which steady-state VO2 was measured. They then completed two overground walking trials of at least 4 min. The first trial was self-paced following instructions to "walk briskly". The second trial was paced using a digital music track which was individually determined from the treadmill trials to be at a moderate cadence ( approximately 3MET). During the self-selected brisk walking trial (5.33+ or -0.28 min), participants walked at a cadence of 113+ or -13.5 steps/min (range = 88-139). Cadence during the music-paced walking trial (5.37+ or -0.28 min) was significantly slower (104+ or -13.2 steps/min; range = 80-122; p < .05, d = 0.69). This pattern occurred for all participants (range = 1 to 23 steps/min slower). From the Bland-Altman plots, 12 of 17 (71%) participants walked within 10 steps/min of the prescribed cadence.