The effect of comprehensive physiotherapy-based rehabilitation on stooped posture in Parkinson's disease.

[Purpose] The effect of physiotherapy on stooped posture in Parkinson's disease patients remains to be clarified. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether comprehensive physiotherapy-based rehabilitation can improve stooped posture in Parkinson's disease patients. [Participants and Methods] The participants were Parkinson's disease patients with stooped posture.

Energy consumption during prosthetic walking and wheelchair locomotion by elderly hip disarticulation amputees.

Objective: To investigate the differences in energy consumption by patients with hip disarticulation between prosthetic walking and wheelchair locomotion.

Design: : The subjects consisted of seven amputees, all older than 60, with unilateral hip disarticulation. Energy consumption when walking with prosthesis and when propelling a wheelchair, each at the respective comfortable movement speed, was measured by means of a portable telemetric system.

Successful prosthetic fitting of elderly trans-femoral amputees with Intelligent Prosthesis (IP): a clinical pilot study.

The objective of the study was to compare the Physiological Cost Index (PCI) and walking speeds during walking in two elderly trans-femoral amputees when using knee joints which emphasized stance-phase control and Intelligent Prosthesis, and to provide some bibliographic observations on factors behind their success in improving walking ability despite their age. It was a within-subject comparison. The subjects comprised two patients, aged 75 and 81 years, with trans-femoral amputations.

Comparison of different microprocessor controlled knee joints on the energy consumption during walking in trans-femoral amputees: intelligent knee prosthesis (IP) versus C-leg.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristic differences between the IP and C-Leg by making a comparative study of energy consumption and walking speeds in trans-femoral amputees. The subjects consisted of four persons with traumatic trans-femoral amputations aged 17 - 33 years who had been using the IP and were active in society. Fourteen able-bodied persons served as controls.

Effect of an Intelligent Prosthesis (IP) on the walking ability of young transfemoral amputees: comparison of IP users with able-bodied people.

Objective: To make a comparative study of energy expenditure and walking speeds between able-bodied people and young Intelligent Prosthesis (IP) users and to demonstrate the effect of IP on the walking ability of young amputees.

Design: The test subjects were eight young traumatic transfemoral amputees. Fourteen able-bodied persons served as controls.

Physical fitness of lower limb amputees.

Objective: To investigate the cardiorespiratory endurance of the physical fitness of amputees and able-bodied subjects of the same ages and to demonstrate deterioration of the physical fitness of the amputees.

Design: The test subjects were 31 amputees. Eighteen able-bodied persons served as controls.