Presenter: Austin Thompson
Co-Presenters: Quinn Peterson, David Howell, Li-Shan Chou
Faculty Mentor: Li-Shan Chou, Quinn Peterson
Presentation Type: Poster 84
Primary Research Area: Science
Major: Human Physiology
Patients with concussion often complain of instability while walking. Previous studies have shown that subjects with concussion have altered gait under normal conditions, dual-task walking, and obstacle crossing. While other studies have looked at joint moments in healthy adolescents and the geriatric population and found that older adults have increased hip moment compared to young adults, there has not been a study looking at the changes in joint moment during obstacle crossing in subjects with concussion. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of concussion on hip joint moment during obstacle crossing in adolescents. It was hypothesized that peak
hip joint moment of the leading and trailing limbs would be increased in patients with concussion. Nine patients with concussion diagnosed by health professionals were matched with eight control subjects by age, height, mass, sex, and sport. Subjects were tested five subsequent times: 72hrs, 1wk, 2wks, 1mo, and 2mo. Twenty-nine retro- reflective markers were placed on boney landmarks, and motion analysis was performed using a 10 camera, 60 Hz system. The subjects stepped over an obstacle 10% of body height during steady state gait, and data was analyzed using Orthotrakä. The neurometabolic cascade of concussion causes changes to motor control, which could lead to unnecessary strain and a mechanism of further injury while providing further insight into how concussions affect gait.