Developing A New Parameter to Determine the Performance of Subjects with Various Musculoskeletal Disorders During Standing and Walking

Background: Various musculoskeletal disorders influence the abilities of subjects during standing, walking and running. Depends on the type of disorder, stability, gait and energy consumption may be influenced. The aim of this study was to introduce a new parameter to show the total performance of the subjects based on the afore mentioned parameters. Method: Four groups of normal subjects, those with flatfoot, Multiple sclerosis (MS), Spinal cord injury (SCI) were recruited in this study. The stability during standing, spatiotemporal gait parameters and energy consumption were evaluated in this study. The new parameter was calculated based on the mean values of stability, gait and energy consumption parameters compared to normal subjects. The difference between the mentioned parameters of the groups was determined by use of two sample t test. Results: The results of this study showed that although there was no significant difference between the subjects with Flatfoot, and SCI, regarding their standing stability, they had difference based on the new parameter (it was significant for SCI). Standing stability, energy consumption and gait performance of subjects with MS differed significantly from normal subjects. The mean value of the new parameter was 1.96 ± 0.571 and 1.61 ± 0.16 for MS and SCI subjects, respectively. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the new parameter seems to represent the effects of musculoskeletal disorders better than other common used method. Therefore, it is recommended to be used in clinical evaluation to determine the effect of musculoskeletal disorders or the effects of some interventions.