Jacqueline Romkes - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Jacqueline Romkes

PLOS ONE

Takedown policy Please contact us and provide details if you believe this document breaches copyr... more Takedown policy Please contact us and provide details if you believe this document breaches copyrights. We will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim.

Gait & posture, Jan 8, 2017

In clinical gait analysis, it is challenging to acquire usable force plate data for a patient in ... more In clinical gait analysis, it is challenging to acquire usable force plate data for a patient in a limited amount of time. The aim of this study was to compare three measurement protocols, to investigate if any one of them was more time-efficient than the others at collecting kinetic data. Three conditions were compared for 15 orthopaedic patients: 1) approaching the force plate with four steps, 2) approaching the force plate with six steps, and 3) approaching the force plate with four steps while stepping on a target one step before the first force plate. Then, the following characteristics were analysed: the rate of usable force plate steps, the spatio-temporal parameters, the full-body gait kinematics, and the lower body kinetics. For the condition with four steps and targeting, the rate of usable force plate steps was highest: 84% (6.8 usable trials out of 8.1 trials on average per patient). Left hip adduction and rotation, right shoulder flexion, and total left hip power were t...

Gait & posture, Jan 24, 2017

Patients undergoing a clinical gait analysis often walk slower than healthy people. However, data... more Patients undergoing a clinical gait analysis often walk slower than healthy people. However, data on how speed affects upper body movements, especially of the arms and shoulders, are scarce. Therefore, in this descriptive study, we examined how changes in walking speed affect upper-body kinematics and aspects of intersegmental coordination between upper and lower body during overground walking in a group of healthy adult subjects. Three-dimensional gait data were collected on 20 healthy subjects (aged between 22 and 31 years) walking at six speeds ranging from extremely slow to very fast. Our results showed significant speed-related changes of upper body kinematic movement curves in three aspects, namely in amplitude (curves for shoulder flexion and abduction, elbow flexion, pelvic obliquity and rotation), timing (curves for shoulder extension and abduction, elbow extension, pelvic rotation) and curve pattern (curves for shoulder and elbow flexion, shoulder rotation, pelvic tilt). T...

Human movement science, Jan 11, 2017

Most studies investigating trunk kinematics have not provided adequate quantification of spinal m... more Most studies investigating trunk kinematics have not provided adequate quantification of spinal motion, resulting in a limited understanding of the healthy spine's biomechanical behavior during gait. This study aimed at assessing spinal motion during gait in adolescents, adults and older individuals. Fourteen adolescents (10-18years), 13 adults (19-35years) and 15 older individuals (≥65years) were included. Using a previously validated enhanced optical motion capture approach, sagittal and frontal plane spinal curvature angles and general trunk kinematics were measured during shod walking at a self-selected normal speed. Postural differences indicated that lumbar lordosis and thoracic kyphosis increase throughout adolescence and reach their peak in adulthood. The absence of excessive thoracic kyphosis in older individuals could be explained by a previously reported subdivision in those who develop excessive kyphosis and those who maintain their curve. Furthermore, adults display...

Gait & posture, Mar 4, 2017

Depending on the extent of a structural leg length discrepancy (LLD), several compensatory mechan... more Depending on the extent of a structural leg length discrepancy (LLD), several compensatory mechanisms take place in order to maintain function and to optimize energy consumption during gait. However, studies describing the influence of a structural LLD on upper limb motion are lacking. The current study therefore aimed at the evaluation of upper limb motion during gait in LLD patients compared to healthy controls. Motion capture data from 14 patients with structural LLD and 15 healthy controls that were collected during barefoot walking at a self-selected speed were retrospectively analyzed. Specifically, kinematic parameters of the shoulder and elbow joints as well as the trunk segment were investigated and considered in relation to a minimal clinically important difference of 5°. The shoulders in LLD patients were kept constantly in a more extended and at initial contact in a more adducted position as compared to healthy controls. In addition, the patients' elbow joints showed...

PLOS ONE, 2016

To increase knee range of motion and improve gait in children with spastic paresis (SP), the semi... more To increase knee range of motion and improve gait in children with spastic paresis (SP), the semitendinosus muscle (ST) amongst other hamstring muscles is frequently lengthened by surgery, but with variable success. Little is known about how the pre-surgical mechanical and morphological characteristics of ST muscle differ between children with SP and typically developing children (TD). The aims of this study were to assess (1) how knee moment-angle characteristics and ST morphology in children with SP selected for medial hamstring lengthening differ from TD children, as well as (2) how knee momentangle characteristics and ST morphology are related. In nine SP and nine TD children, passive knee moment-angle characteristics and morphology of ST (i.e. fascicle length, muscle belly length, tendon length, physiological cross-sectional area, and volume) were assessed by hand-held dynamometry and freehand 3D ultrasound, respectively. At net knee flexion moments above 0.5 Nm, more flexed knee angles were found for SP compared to TD children. The measured knee angle range between 0 and 4 Nm was 30% smaller in children with SP. Muscle volume, physiological cross-sectional area, and fascicle length normalized to femur length were smaller in SP compared to TD children (62%, 48%, and 18%, respectively). Sixty percent of the variation in knee angles at 4 Nm net knee moment was explained by ST fascicle length. Altered knee moment-angle characteristics indicate an increased ST stiffness in SP children. Morphological observations indicate that in SP children planned for medial hamstring lengthening, the longitudinal and cross-sectional growth of ST muscle fibers is reduced. The reduced fascicle length PLOS ONE |

Gait & posture, Sep 12, 2016

Foot equinus and leg length discrepancy (LLD) are common problems in hemiplegic cerebral palsy (h... more Foot equinus and leg length discrepancy (LLD) are common problems in hemiplegic cerebral palsy (hCP), both causing secondary deviations of pelvic motion during gait. It can therefore be assumed that the spinal deviations observed in hCP patients are secondary as a compensation for the position of the pelvis arising from the disturbed leg function. This study investigated the effects of correcting lower extremity function by orthotics on spinal gait kinematics in hCP patients. Ten adolescent hCP patients and 15 healthy controls were included. Using a validated and previously used enhanced marker set, sagittal and frontal plane spinal curvature angles as well as general trunk and lower extremity kinematics were measured while walking barefoot as well as with an orthotic correction (only hCP patients) using a 12-camera motion capture system. The hCP patients in both the barefoot and orthotic conditions indicated clinically relevant greater lumbar lordosis angles (d≥0.96, p≤0.071), smal...

The MBT shoe is a training device based on the Masai Barefoot Technique (MBT) that can be used du... more The MBT shoe is a training device based on the Masai Barefoot Technique (MBT) that can be used during daily locomotion activities. The aim of the present study was to investigate how postural control during quiet stance was influenced by the MBT shoe in healthy subjects. Center of pressure (COP) excursions were measured on a force platform at the Laboratory for Movement Analysis of the University Children's Hospital in Basel. Nine healthy subjects with experience in wearing the MBT shoe stood on a force platform in two-legged stance (eyes open and closed) and one-legged stance (dominant and non-dominant leg with eyes open). COP excursions significantly increased in the two-legged stance conditions, for both the anteroposterior and the mediolateral direction, with the MBT shoe compared to barefoot. For one-legged stance, however, no significant differences between MBT shoe and barefoot were found. Whether these results are the similar for walking, remains to be investigated.

$Research paper thumbnail of The effect of crutches, an orthosis TheraTogs, and no walking aids on the recovery of gait in a patient with delayed healing post hip fracture: A case report$

Physiotherapy Theory and Practice, 2016

Accelerated rehabilitation following hip fracture and joint replacement, including early unrestri... more Accelerated rehabilitation following hip fracture and joint replacement, including early unrestricted weight-bearing and muscle strengthening, has gained importance in hastening functional recovery and hospital discharge. The influence of walking aids on these parameters is sparsely investigated. In this case report, we document the effect of walking with crutches; an orthotic garment and strapping system, TheraTogs; and no walking aids over 3-4-week periods on walking speed, trunk sway, and muscle activity measured with electromyography (EMG). The patient was a 49-year-old female showing delayed healing following a conservatively treated avulsion fracture of the greater trochanter 12 weeks previously with a 14-year history of total hip arthroplasty. EMG analysis showed muscle activity increased with TheraTogs and decreased with crutches compared with walking with no aids. Walking speed improved at a faster rate in the TheraTogs phase than in the crutches phase and reduced in no-walking-aids phase. Mean speed (SD) for each phase was: crutches 1.11 (0.08) m/s, TheraTogs 1.35 (0.11) m/s, and no-aids 1.19 (0.14) m/s. Trunk sway increased in the crutch and no-aids phases, and became more stable in the TheraTogs phase. In this patient, function and recovery rate of all measured parameters increased more in the TheraTogs phase than the crutches or no-aids phase. This may be because muscle activity was facilitated enabling active support of recovering structures.

Gait & Posture, 2015

The pathogenesis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) remains poorly understood. Previous res... more The pathogenesis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) remains poorly understood. Previous research has indicated possible relationships between kinematics of the spine, pelvis and lower extremities during gait and the progression of AIS, but adequate evidence on spinal kinematics is lacking. The aim of this study was to provide a detailed assessment of spinal gait kinematics in AIS patients compared to asymptomatic controls. Fourteen AIS patients and 15 asymptomatic controls were included. Through introducing a previously validated enhanced trunk marker set, sagittal and frontal spinal curvature angles as well as general trunk kinematics were measured during gait using a 12-camera Vicon motion capture system. Group comparisons were conducted using T-tests and relationships between kinematic parameters and severity of scoliosis (Cobb angle) were investigated using regression analyses. The sagittal thoracic curvature angle in AIS patients showed on average 10.7° (4.2°, 17.3°) less kyphosis but 4.9° (2.3°, 7.6°) more range of motion (Cobb angle-dependent (R(2)=0.503)). In the frontal plane, thoracic and thoracolumbar/lumbar curvature angles indicated average lateral deviations in AIS patients. General trunk kinematics and spatio-temporal gait parameters, however, did not show any clinically relevant differences between the groups. This demonstrates that the dynamic functionality of the scoliotic spine can be assessed using advanced non-invasive optical approaches and that these should become standard in clinical gait analysis. Furthermore, curvature angle data might be used to drive sophisticated computer simulation models in order to gain an insight into the dynamic loading behavior of the scoliotic spine during gait.

Der Orthopäde, 2000

Zusammenfassung Bei Patienten mit infantiler spastischer Zerebralparese entwickeln sich oft Tor... more Zusammenfassung Bei Patienten mit infantiler spastischer Zerebralparese entwickeln sich oft Torsionsfehler an Hüfte, Unterschenkel oder Fuß. Ein Faktor, der zu diesen Deformitäten führt, wird in der abnormalen Muskelaktivität mit gesteigertem Tonus und Spastizität gesehen. In der vorliegenden Arbeit konnte ganganalytisch im Vergleich von 13 Patienten mit ICP und 8 Normalpersonen ein statistisch signifikanter Unterschied der Torsionsmomente an Hüfte, Knie und

Sport-Orthopädie - Sport-Traumatologie - Sports Orthopaedics and Traumatology, 2010

Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography, 2005

Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics B, 2007

Movements of the lower limbs during gait have been analysed extensively whereas data on upper bod... more Movements of the lower limbs during gait have been analysed extensively whereas data on upper body movements are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate upper body movements during gait in nine healthy children and 10 children with diplegic cerebral palsy. Children were investigated using a full-body marker set to calculate the upper body kinematics of trunk and arms. When the healthy children were compared with the children with cerebral palsy, the latter compensated more for their gait deviations and were less stable. This was expressed by their greater variability in arm movements and increased movements at the thorax. The thorax showed an increased forward tilt with greater range of motion over the gait cycle. The shoulders were more abducted with increased elbow flexion. Gait analysis with the full-body marker set has offered prospects for a better understanding of compensatory mechanisms for the pathological gait pattern in children with diplegic cerebral palsy.

Journal of Biomechanics, 2006

Journal of Biomechanics, 2008