• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.8-16
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• 2008

The range of motion (ROM) of ankle dorsiflexion in older women was associated with gait abnormalities and the risk of falls. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of self-stretching exercise on the flexibility of the plantar flexors of the ankle and the characteristics of gait in healthy elderly women. Fifteen participants were assigned randomly into an exercise (n=8) or control (n=7) group. The exercise group attended a self-stretching program approximately 30 minutes for 3 days per week for 4 weeks. The active ankle dorsiflexion ROM and gait measurements were taken prior to beginning the stretching program and 1 day after the last stretching day. Results showed that the active ankle dorsiflexion ROM was significantly increased in the exercise group than in the control group after the stretching program (p<.05). However, gait parameters, including gait speed, cadence, and stride length were not significantly different between the two groups (p>.05). The results suggest that a 4-week self-stretching program is capable of provoking a significant increase in ankle dorsiflexion ROM in elderly, community-dwelling women. Additional research is needed to investigate the effect of gait-specific exercise combined with stretching exercise on gait ability.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.81-88
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• 2002

This paper presents a design and a control of a New Reciprocating Gait Orthosis and dynamic walking simulation for this system. The New Reciprocating Gait Orthosis is distinguished from other one by which has a very light-weight and a new RGO type with servo motors. The gait of a New Reciprocating Gait Orthosis depends on the constrains of mechanical kinematics and initial posture. The stability of dynamic walking is investigated by ZMP(Zero Moment Point) of the New Reciprocating Gait Orthosis. It is designed according to a human wear type and is able to accomodate itself to human environments. The joints of each leg are adopted with a good kinematic characteristics. To test of the analysis of joint kinematic properties, we did the strain stress analysis of dynamic PLS and the study of FEM with a dynamic PLS. It will be expect that the spinal card injury patients are able to train effectively with a Reciprocating Gait Orthosis. The New Reciprocating Gait Orthosis was able to keep smooth walling by the orthotic servo motors and hybrid system, make a sequence of flexion and extension of the joint during the walking. Also, the New Reciprocating Gait Orthosis turned out to be a satisfactory orthosis for walling training, for the spinal cord injury patient.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.33-39
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• 2011

Background : The purpose of this study was to apply cervical orthosis for temporal parameters of gait was to evaluate the effect. Methods : Seven normal adults participated in this study. Before and after applying a cervical orthosis compared to gait. Outcome measure were: general characteristics, temporal parameters of gait. General chacteristics included age, gender, height, weight. Temporal parameters included the Velocity cycle, Stride length, Step length, Cadence cycle, Initial double support time. Temporal parameters of gait, using the motion analysis system for cervical orthosis were evaluated before and after applying. The data was analyzed using SPSS 12.0 software and the Wilcoxon's signed-ranks test. Results : Velocity cycle and Step length were no significant differences(p>0.05). But Stride length, Cadence cycle, Initial double support time were significant(p<0.05). After apply Cervical orthosis in gait, Stride length and Initial double support time was decreased and Cadence cycle was increased. Conclusion : Changes in temporal of temporal parameters of gait was apply a cervical orthosis with the limitations of vision due to take effect. Therefore, Cervical orthosis does not interfere with the normal gait pattern by limiting the Range of Motion so that we consider to apply.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.204-211
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• 2019

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effect of progressive speed increase during underwater gait training on stroke patients' balance, gait, and endurance, as well as to compare the effects of underwater gait training and land gait training. Methods: Subjects were randomly allocated into three groups. Underwater gait training group (n=10), land gait training group (n=9) and control group (n=9). The groups performed their respective programs as well as conventional physical therapy 3 times/week for 8 weeks. The patients were assessed before and after the experiment in terms of the Berg balance scale, characteristics of gait, and 6-minute walking test. Results: The beneficial effect perceived in the speed increase underwater gait training (UGT) group was significantly greater than in the groups who were trained with speed increase land gait training (LGT) group, and the control group regarding the following aspects: the Berg balance scale, the affected step length, the affected stride length, and the 6-minute walking test (p<0.05). The LGT group showed a more significant effect on the Berg balance scale, the affected step length, the affected stride length, and the 6-minute walking test (p<0.05), compared to the control group. Furthermore, the UGT group showed a significantly greater effect on the gait speed when compared to the control groupb (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study shows that progressive UGT is effective in improving balance, gait, and endurance in stroke patients. Therefore, we believe that progressive UGT may be used as a method for general physical therapy in patients with stroke.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.235-244
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• 2022

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate of the foot plantar pressure and usability after gait training using the ExoAtlet wearable exoskeleton robot in an incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) patient. Design: A case study Methods: Six participants with an asymmetry in motor and sensory function completed the gait training using ExoAtlet wearable exoskeleton robot for 15 sessions, five per weeks, 3weeks. They were divided into two groups (low and high strength group) and group differences were evaluated about session at stating of gait, gait distance at final session and foot plantar pressures and useability after training. Results: Low strength group was faster than high strength group on adaptation of robot gait. And high strength group increased faster than low strength group on the gait distance during training. In standing and gait, weaker leg was higher than stronger leg on mean foot plantar pressure in low strength group. And stronger leg was higher than weaker leg on foot plantar pressure in high strength group. The length of the anterior-posterior trajectory of the center of pressure during gait was similar in low strength group, but different in high strength group. useability was positive about ExoAtlet wearable exoskeleton gait after training. Conclusions: ExoAtlet wearable exoskeleton robot gait training was positive about improving gait in all participants regardless of differences in severity of symptoms and gait abnormalities.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.49-55
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• 2000

The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics oi gait patterns and to find the effects of the gait function on the P.N.F. pelvic pattern. The subjects of this study were 40 hemiplegic patients who either hospitalized in or out patients at department physical therapy, Tae-Bong hospital and Masan college health education center. The study on these patient were done from July 20.1999 through May 10,2000. Method of gait pattern assessment used ink foot print record. The results were as follows: 1. There were significiant difference in cadence and stride length(p<0.05). 2. There were significiant difference in gait velocity (p<0.05).

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.415-422
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• 2020

This study investigates the relationship between muscular strengths and gait characteristics of the elderly. Totally, 107 subjects, aged 65 to 85 years, participated in this study. Researchers measured muscle strengths (grip force, toe grip force, gluteus medius, and gluteus maximus forces) and walking characteristics (walking speed, cadence, step length, single leg support, and double legs support). Dynamometers and inertial measurement unit-based shoe systems were used for measuring muscular strength and gait characteristics, respectively. No significant difference was observed in strengths and walking characteristics between the young elders (YE, 65-74 years) and the old elders (OE, 75-85 years). For each age, muscular strength significantly correlated with some gait parameters. Forces of gluteus medius and gluteus maximus muscles showed better significant correlations between some gait parameters for all age groups, as compared to grip force and toe grip force. Regression coefficients between walking speed and grip force did not vary with age. We conclude that muscular strengths in OE better explained the gait characteristics than in YE subjects. Even though grip strength is an easily measured variable for senior fitness test, forces of gluteus medius and gluteus maximus muscles are more meaningful for understanding the walking characteristics of elderly people.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.25 no.8
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• pp.104-110
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• 2008

The aim of this study ultimately is verifying that PGO gait is more efficient than RGO fur paraplegics because the air muscle assists hip flexion power in heel off movement. The gait characteristics of the paraplegic wearing the PGO or RGO are compared with that of a normal person. PGO with air muscles was used to analyze the walking of patients with lower-limb paralysis, and the results showed that the hip joint flexion and pelvic tilt angle decreased in PGO. In comparison to RGO gait, which is propelled by the movements of the back, PGO uses air muscles, which decreases the movement in the upper limb from a stance phase rate of 79$\pm$4%(RGO) to 68$\pm$8%. The energy consumption rate was 8.65$\pm$3.3 (ml/min/Kg) for RGO, while it decreased to 7.21t2.5(ml/min/Kg) for PGO. The results from this study show that PGO decreases energy consumption while providing support for patients with lower-limb paralysis, and it is helpful in walking for extended times.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.2118-2125
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• 2014

Gait Recognition is a new technique to identify the people by the way they walk. Human gait is a spatio-temporal phenomenon that typifies the motion characteristics of an individual. The proposed method makes a simple but efficient attempt to gait recognition. For each video file, spatial silhouettes of a walker are extracted by an improved background subtraction procedure using Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM). Here GMM is used as a parametric probability density function represented as a weighted sum of Gaussian component densities. Then, the relevant features are extracted from the silhouette tracked from the given video file using the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) method. The Fisher Linear Discriminant Analysis (FLDA) classifier is used in the classification of dimensional reduced image derived by the PCA method for gait recognition. Although gait images can be easily acquired, the gait recognition is affected by clothes, shoes, carrying status and specific physical condition of an individual. To overcome this problem, it is combined with footprint as a multimodal biometric system. The minutiae is extracted from the footprint and then fused with silhouette image using the Discrete Stationary Wavelet Transform (DSWT). The experimental result shows that the efficiency of proposed fusion algorithm works well and attains better result while comparing with other fusion schemes.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.19-29
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• 2019

Purpose : To determine whether an advanced rehabilitation therapy combined with conventional rehabilitation therapy consisting of sensorimotor exercises that would be superior to a usual treadmill training in gait ability and fall risk in subacute stroke patients. Methods : Thirty subjects randomly assigned to either multi-sensorimotor training group (n=19) or treadmill training group (n=18). Both groups first performed conventional physical therapy for 30 min, after which the multi-sensorimotor training group performed multi-sensorimotor training for 30 min, and the treadmill training group performed treadmill gait training for 30 min. Both groups performed the therapeutic interventions 5 days per week for 8 weeks. Gait ability was evaluated using the GAITRite system and Fall risk was measured using the Biodex Balance system before intervention and after 8 weeks. Results : There were no intergroup differences between demographic and clinical characteristics at baseline (p>.05). Both groups showed a significant improvement in gait ability (p<.05) and Fall risk (p<.05). In particular, the multi-sensorimotor training group showed more significant differences in gait velocity (p=.05), step length (p=.01) and stride length (p=.014) than the treadmill training group. Conclusion : The multi-sensorimotor training program performed on multiple types of sensory input had beneficial effect on gait ability. A large-scale randomized controlled study is needed to prove the effect of this training.