Table 5 Summary of the influence of BWU level on gait characteristics, where italic*: no definitive trend across studies, bold: gait parameter remains almost constant, —: no studies, NA: R2 not calculated since the number of available data points was less than four. Number of studies (n), slope (m %-1) and % R2 values for the linear regression of each gait parameter are written respectively. In cases where the magnitude of gait parameters is measured separately for non-paretic (T/OTN) and paretic legs (T/OTP), slope for the non-paretic leg is mentioned first. E: extension, F: flexion, PF: plantarflexion, ECW: energy cost of walking, MG: medial gastrocnemius, LG: lateral gastrocnemius, TA: tibialis anterior, RF: rectus femoris and BF: biceps femoris long head
From: Influence of body weight unloading on human gait characteristics: a systematic review
Gait Characteristics | Treadmill | Overground | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Â | Healthy | NI | Healthy | NI | ||||||||
| Â | n | m | R2 | n | m | R2 | n | m | R2 | n | m | R2 |
|  |  | ×10−3 | % |  | ×10−3 | % |  | ×10−3 | % |  | ×10−3 | % |
Kinematic parameters | ||||||||||||
1. Stride length | 5 | -0.03 * | 0 | 1 | 0 * | 0 | 4 | -0.5 * | 4.1 | 2 | -2.6* | 29.7 |
2. Cadence | 5 | 0.1 * | 0.1 | 1 | 0 * | 0 | 3 | -0.7 * | 5.4 | 2 | -1.5 | 65.1 |
3. Walking speed |  | — |  |  | — |  | 4 | 0.1 * | 0 | 2 | -4.5 * | 48.5 |
4. Gait phases - ST | 4 | -1.1 * | 41.7 | 1 | -1.4; -0.9 | NA | 3 | -2.9 | 71.3 | 1 | 0.1; -0.8 | NA |
5. Gait phases - iDLS | 3 | -4.7 | 74.8 | 1 | —; -4.7 | NA | 1 | -7.2 | 93.6 | 1 | 0.7; -4.9 | NA |
6. Gait phases - SLS | 2 | 5.7 | 61.9 | 1 | 1.9; 4.4 | NA | 3 | -0.3 * | 0.5 | 1 | 1.1; 0.6 | NA |
7. Hip joint ROM | 3 | -4.7 | 76.6 |  | — |  | 3 | -6 | 80.3 | 1 | -3.4; -0.9 | NA |
8. Knee joint ROM | 2 | -2 | 80.8 |  | — |  | 3 | -3.3 | 79.3 | 1 | -1.3; -2.7 | NA |
9. Ankle joint ROM | 4 | -2 * | 37.8 |  | — |  | 3 | -0.9 * | 1.4 | 1 | 0.1; -0.9 | NA |
Kinetic parameters | ||||||||||||
10. Ankle impulse | 2 | -7.7 | 93.9 |  | — |  | 2 | -12.6 | 94.9 |  | — |  |
11. Hip E moment | 1 | -7.8 | 99.2 |  | — |  | 1 | -0.3 | NA |  | — |  |
12. Hip F moment | 1 | -8.9 | 97.1 |  | — |  | 1 | -14 | NA |  | — |  |
13. Knee E moment | 1 | -3.8 | 92.8 |  | — |  | 1 | -12 | NA |  | — |  |
14. Knee F moment | 1 | -14 | 98.9 |  | — |  | 1 | -1 | NA |  | — |  |
15. Ankle PF moment | 2 | -7.8 | 99.4 |  | — |  | 1 | -12 | NA |  | — |  |
16. AP GRF peak - I | 3 | -8.5 | 80.2 |  | — |  | 2 | -16.4 | 96.3 |  | — |  |
17. AP GRF peak - II | 3 | -7.6 | 91.6 |  | — |  | 2 | -12.6 | 87.7 |  | — |  |
18. Vertical GRF - I | 3 | -8.3 | 95 | 1 | -6.6 | NA | 2 | -9.6 | 99.1 |  | — |  |
19. Vertical GRF - II | 3 | -8.7 | 96 | 1 | -6.9 | NA | 2 | -11 | 93.8 |  | — |  |
Metabolic parameters | ||||||||||||
20. ECW | 5 | -3 | 70.2 | 1 | -4.3 | NA |  | — |  |  | — |  |
21. Heart rate | 2 | -0.3 * | 6.6 | 1 | -1.2 | NA |  | — |  |  | — |  |
Muscle activity | ||||||||||||
22. EMG - MG | 5 | -7.8 | 83.1 | 2 | -7.6 | 96.7 |  | — |  |  | — |  |
23. EMG - LG | 2 | -6.4 | 72.1 |  | — |  | 1 | -21.2 | NA |  | — |  |
24. EMG - RF | 3 | 1.3 * | 1.3 | 1 | -5.1 | 95.9 | 1 | -3.3 * | 30.5 |  | — |  |
25. EMG - BF | 3 | -3.2 * | 42.5 | 1 | -1.2 * | 8.4 | 1 | -4.1 | 88.6 |  | — |  |
26. EMG - TA | 4 | -0.9 * | 12.4 | 2 | -3.3 | 88 | 2 | -8.76 | 73.3 |  | — |  |