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In-patients short-term gait
rehabilitation by means of a new
body-weight measuring system.
A. Avni1, Eli Isakov2.
1. Andante Medical Devices Ltd.,
Omer, Israel.
2. Orthopedic Rehabil. Dept. and
Kinesiology Lab., Loewenstein
Hospital, Sackler Faculty of Medicine,
Tel Aviv Univ., Ra'anana, Israel.
rehabilitation by means of a new
body-weight measuring system.
A. Avni1, Eli Isakov2.
1. Andante Medical Devices Ltd.,
Omer, Israel.
2. Orthopedic Rehabil. Dept. and
Kinesiology Lab., Loewenstein
Hospital, Sackler Faculty of Medicine,
Tel Aviv Univ., Ra'anana, Israel.
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Introduction: The final goal in gait rehabilitation is the ability to ambulate independently
and evenly loading body-weight (BW) over both lower limbs. Current methods for gait
rehabilitation are mainly subjective and are based on: demonstration and verbal
instructions given to the patient by the physical therapist, patient self-observation and
training in front of a full-length mirror and standing on a bathroom scale in order to feel the
desired BW to be loaded during ambulation. Patients admitted for short-term Orthopedic
Rehabilitation are often allowed and recommended to FWB gait over the affected leg.
Among them, patients following joint replacement, fractures in the lower limb and amputees.
Objectives: To evaluate the ability of a new BW measuring system in enhancing weight
loading over the affected leg by means of bio-feedback audio signals, given during gait
rehabilitation.
Materials and Methods: 42 in-patients in the Orthopedic Rehabilitation Dept. were randomly
divided into subject and control groups. The mean age and body weight were, 62 ±12 years
and 76 ±15 kg in the subject group and 66 ±15 years and 70 ±13 kg in the control group.
The diagnoses of the participants were THR, TKR, fixation of a femoral neck fracture, BK
and AK amputation.
Quantitative evaluation of BW bearing over the affected leg was performed by means of a
new BW measuring system (SmartStep, Andante Inc.). This system consists of a light-
weight inflatable insole, a control unit for calibration, data recording and delivery of a bio-
feedback audio signal and PC software. In a pre-test, all participants were fitted with a
proper size of the new insole and were instructed to walk at their own selected speed. The
amount of BW bearing (in kg) that was measured in the affected leg during ambulation
(with or without walking aid), was considered as the base-line result. In the subjects group:
following the pre-test, the SmartStep was calibrated in order to produce an audio signal
each time the subject was loading the affected leg with the measured base-line weight +
10% of his BW. In the control group: following the pre-test, the physical therapist instructed
the patient in how to load better the affected leg during the test itself.
Results: Data obtained in both groups (in kg) during the pre-tests and during the gait tests
was converted into percentage of the participant BW. The means of the differences between
the pre-test results and the gait test results in both groups were 11.1 ±7.7 % and 1.0 ±3.5
% in the subject and control groups, respectively. These differences were found to be
statistically significant (p=0.00023).
Conclusions: The new SmartStep system was proved to be an important tool in assisting in
gait rehabilitation since its bio-feedback system enhances and improves BW bearing over
the affected leg in cases where FWB is recommended.
Bet Lowenstein Hospital, Ra'anana, Israel -May 2004.
Presented at the Mediterranean Forum of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine; Antalya –
Turkey, October 2004.
and evenly loading body-weight (BW) over both lower limbs. Current methods for gait
rehabilitation are mainly subjective and are based on: demonstration and verbal
instructions given to the patient by the physical therapist, patient self-observation and
training in front of a full-length mirror and standing on a bathroom scale in order to feel the
desired BW to be loaded during ambulation. Patients admitted for short-term Orthopedic
Rehabilitation are often allowed and recommended to FWB gait over the affected leg.
Among them, patients following joint replacement, fractures in the lower limb and amputees.
Objectives: To evaluate the ability of a new BW measuring system in enhancing weight
loading over the affected leg by means of bio-feedback audio signals, given during gait
rehabilitation.
Materials and Methods: 42 in-patients in the Orthopedic Rehabilitation Dept. were randomly
divided into subject and control groups. The mean age and body weight were, 62 ±12 years
and 76 ±15 kg in the subject group and 66 ±15 years and 70 ±13 kg in the control group.
The diagnoses of the participants were THR, TKR, fixation of a femoral neck fracture, BK
and AK amputation.
Quantitative evaluation of BW bearing over the affected leg was performed by means of a
new BW measuring system (SmartStep, Andante Inc.). This system consists of a light-
weight inflatable insole, a control unit for calibration, data recording and delivery of a bio-
feedback audio signal and PC software. In a pre-test, all participants were fitted with a
proper size of the new insole and were instructed to walk at their own selected speed. The
amount of BW bearing (in kg) that was measured in the affected leg during ambulation
(with or without walking aid), was considered as the base-line result. In the subjects group:
following the pre-test, the SmartStep was calibrated in order to produce an audio signal
each time the subject was loading the affected leg with the measured base-line weight +
10% of his BW. In the control group: following the pre-test, the physical therapist instructed
the patient in how to load better the affected leg during the test itself.
Results: Data obtained in both groups (in kg) during the pre-tests and during the gait tests
was converted into percentage of the participant BW. The means of the differences between
the pre-test results and the gait test results in both groups were 11.1 ±7.7 % and 1.0 ±3.5
% in the subject and control groups, respectively. These differences were found to be
statistically significant (p=0.00023).
Conclusions: The new SmartStep system was proved to be an important tool in assisting in
gait rehabilitation since its bio-feedback system enhances and improves BW bearing over
the affected leg in cases where FWB is recommended.
Bet Lowenstein Hospital, Ra'anana, Israel -May 2004.
Presented at the Mediterranean Forum of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine; Antalya –
Turkey, October 2004.
Orthopedic Rehabilitation
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