Enhancing gait mechanics: The effectiveness of a novel walking aid.

BACKGROUND: A walking support orthosis known as the e-foot®, a rubber orthotic worn from the hip to the forefoot to enhance joint flexibility and movement, has been developed to assist elderly people and individuals with walking impairments. Despite its widespread acceptance and positive reception in some care settings, the precise impact of this device on gait dynamics remains unexplored. This study aims to bridge this gap by comparing the walking speeds of healthy volunteers using the e-foot® against their normal walking speeds. Furthermore, it seeks to elucidate the biomechanical alterations induced by the e-foot® on their gait patterns.

METHODS: In this intervention study, 78 healthy volunteers underwent a 10-m walk test, both with and without the e-foot®, to measure its effect on walking speed. Gait changes were biomechanically compared by analyzing marker positions and accelerations of the lower extremities during the walk tests.

RESULTS: The e-foot® orthotic device significantly improved walking times for both men and women in the 10-m walk test. Biomechanical testing showed a consistent trend of higher marker positions of the knees, heels, and toes when participants were using the e-foot®. Additionally, marker acceleration during the first half of the swing phase was greater with the e-foot®, indicating a faster gait initiation.

CONCLUSIONS: The e-foot® increased the walking speed of healthy volunteers. Also, there were changes to knee, heel and toe positions during gait, and comparative increase in acceleration was recorded in these three parts during swinging gait.