Aquatic treadmill walking at three depths of water in people with traumatic brain injury. (23rd November 2019) - Narasaki‐Jara, Mai
Abstract: Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyse kinematic and spatiotemporal gait characteristics of aquatic treadmill walking among three different depths of water in individuals with traumatic brain injury. Methods: A total of 13 individuals with traumatic brain injury participated in the study and completed walking trials at three different depths as follows: waist, chest, and neck level, which was adjusted by a movable floor pool. A self‐selected comfortable walking speed at the waist level was used as a matched speed for all walking trials. Participants completed three aquatic treadmill walking trials under each of the three water depths. Each participant's gait was captured by a customized underwater motion analysis system and processed by a two‐dimensional motion analysis software. Results: The repeated measures analysis of variance showed significant differences in spatiotemporal and joint kinematic variables across three conditions: stance swing ratio ( p = .023), peak hip flexion ( p = .001), hip range of motion ( p = .047), and peak ankle dorsiflexion ( p = .000). Various water properties in conjunction with motor impairments might have contributed to alterations in gait kinematics. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that walking in neck‐depth water may not be ideal for gait training as it appears to limit hip flexion and ankle dorsiflexion. It is recommended that waist to chest‐depth water be used to provide an accommodating environment for aquatic gait rehabilitation.