Tag: Shannon Pomeroy

The Effect of Rigid Ankle-Foot Orthotics on Joint Range of Motion and Temporospatial Parameters

Presenter: Therese Wichmann

Faculty Mentor: Shannon Pomeroy, Michael Hahn

Presentation Type: Oral

Primary Research Area: Science

Major: Human Physiology

Ankle arthritis is the debilitating deterioration of the joint cartilage, resulting in pain and diminished quality of life. A surgical fusion of the affected bones can be performed on the ankle to alleviate pain and remove damaged cartilage, but ankle range of motion (ROM) becomes severely limited. Rigid ankle-foot orthotics (AFOs) have had positive outcomes regarding ankle mobility, stability, and pain relief in clinical populations, however, much is unknown about how externally limiting motion affects gait function. This preliminary work will help determine how wearing AFOs affect ROM and temporospatial parameters. We performed standard gait analysis on 16 healthy adult subjects during a baseline walking test without wearing an AFO and throughout thirty minutes of wearing an AFO on a treadmill. Reflective markers were placed on anatomical landmarks to capture segment motion and calculate lower extremity joint angles. Changes in ROM and stride length were analyzed and compared from baseline to minute one, minute fifteen, and minute thirty within the AFO test. Initial results reveal noticeable changes compared to baseline. Continued collections and analysis will be utilized to observe how these acute changes form overtime with AFO use. These data will assist in determining how rigid AFOs maintain normal mobility despite restricting the ankle, potentially giving support to the usage of rigid AFOs in some ankle arthritis cases rather than invasive surgery.

Center of Mass Displacement with a Rigid Ankle-Foot Orthotic in Healthy Individuals

Presenter: Spencer Smith

Co-Presenters: Therese Wichmann, Shannon Pomeroy, Michael Hahn,

Faculty Mentor: Shannon Pomeroy, Michael Hahn

Presentation Type: Poster 83

Primary Research Area: Science

Major: Human Physiology

Ankle arthritis is inflammation of the articular cartilage, resulting in pain, stiffness and diminished quality of life. Ankle arthritis is often treated with a complete artificial fusion of the affected bones and removal of the damaged cartilage, which can lead to significantly altered gait and further long-term complications. Rigid ankle-foot orthotics (AFOs) have been used in similar clinical populations to stabilize the joint; however, they have been shown to retain many gait characteristics and improve stability despite limiting ankle range of motion (ROM). In order to better understand how the body adapts to such a sudden and severe limitation of ankle ROM, we performed a gait analysis on 16 healthy individuals within the lab. Each subject went through a normal baseline walking trial on the treadmill followed by a 30 minute walking trial in which they were equipped with a rigid AFO. We used motion capture cameras to collect the 3D motion of strategically placed reflective markers. Subsequently, whole-body marker position data was used to calculate and observe the subjects’ center of mass between walking without an AFO and with an AFO over time. Preliminary data analysis indicates that a rigid AFO may result in increased COM displacement with a range less than baseline following 30 minutes of AFO acclimation, suggesting that an AFO leads to return to more normal gait given an acclimation period.