A three-month intervention using assistive shoes has the potential to enhance muscle oxygenation in patients diagnosed with peripheral artery disease.
Presenter Type
UNO Graduate Student (Doctoral)
Major/Field of Study
Biomechanics
Advisor Information
Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Creative Activity Biomechanics, Professor
Location
CEC RM #201/205/209
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
22-3-2024 9:00 AM
End Date
22-3-2024 10:15 AM
Abstract
Introduction: An obstruction or narrowing of the leg arteries contributes to development of peripheral artery disease (PAD). PAD leads to reduced blood flow, decreased muscle oxygenation, weakness in the calf muscles, and pain during walking. Calf muscles contribute to forward propulsion generated to push off into the next step more than other muscles. Assistive shoes such as carbon fiber (CF) and spring-loaded (SL) tennis shoes have improved push-off during walking by absorbing energy at heel contact and releasing it at push-off. Yet, the impact of assistive shoes on muscle oxygenation in patients with PAD, particularly in reducing calf muscle demand during walking, remains unclear. This study compared the effect of SL and CF shoes on muscle oxygenation in patients with PAD during baseline and three-month visits to assess the impact of wearing assistive shoes for three-months. Method: Ten patients with PAD(Age(70.0±8.0 years), height(177.1±6.6 cm), and mass(78.1±8.4 kg)) performed a progressive treadmill test while near-infrared spectroscopy was attached to their symptomatic calf muscle. The subjects were provided with preferred assistive shoes, chosen based on comfort and ease of walking, to wear during their daily activities for three months. Muscle oxygenation levels were assessed at the 1-minute, 2-minute, and 3-minute time points from the start of the treadmill test. A paired sample t-test was performed between the CF and SL baseline conditions. Muscle oxygenation (at 1, 2, and 3 minute time points) was also compared before and after the three-month intervention when walking with preferred assistive shoes. Results: At baseline, there was no significant difference between CF and SL shoes on muscle oxygenation level. The intervention with preferred assistive shoes did not significantly affect the muscle oxygenation level. However, at baseline, patients with PAD exhibited 10% higher muscle oxygenation at 1-minute, 9% higher at 2-minute, and 5% higher at 3-minute when walking with CF compared to the SL shoes. After a three-month intervention with preferred shoes, PAD patients showed 28% higher muscle oxygenation at 1-minute, 25% higher at 2-minute, and 24% higher at 3-minute when walking with preferred shoes. Conclusion: Muscle oxygenation reduction and walking limitation leads to pathological changes in the leg muscles of patients with PAD. The CF shoes had greater improvement in muscle oxygenation level at a single visit than the SL shoes. A three-month intervention with a preferred assistive shoe improved the muscle oxygenation level of the patients with PAD by decreasing the load on the calf muscles.
A three-month intervention using assistive shoes has the potential to enhance muscle oxygenation in patients diagnosed with peripheral artery disease.
CEC RM #201/205/209
Introduction: An obstruction or narrowing of the leg arteries contributes to development of peripheral artery disease (PAD). PAD leads to reduced blood flow, decreased muscle oxygenation, weakness in the calf muscles, and pain during walking. Calf muscles contribute to forward propulsion generated to push off into the next step more than other muscles. Assistive shoes such as carbon fiber (CF) and spring-loaded (SL) tennis shoes have improved push-off during walking by absorbing energy at heel contact and releasing it at push-off. Yet, the impact of assistive shoes on muscle oxygenation in patients with PAD, particularly in reducing calf muscle demand during walking, remains unclear. This study compared the effect of SL and CF shoes on muscle oxygenation in patients with PAD during baseline and three-month visits to assess the impact of wearing assistive shoes for three-months. Method: Ten patients with PAD(Age(70.0±8.0 years), height(177.1±6.6 cm), and mass(78.1±8.4 kg)) performed a progressive treadmill test while near-infrared spectroscopy was attached to their symptomatic calf muscle. The subjects were provided with preferred assistive shoes, chosen based on comfort and ease of walking, to wear during their daily activities for three months. Muscle oxygenation levels were assessed at the 1-minute, 2-minute, and 3-minute time points from the start of the treadmill test. A paired sample t-test was performed between the CF and SL baseline conditions. Muscle oxygenation (at 1, 2, and 3 minute time points) was also compared before and after the three-month intervention when walking with preferred assistive shoes. Results: At baseline, there was no significant difference between CF and SL shoes on muscle oxygenation level. The intervention with preferred assistive shoes did not significantly affect the muscle oxygenation level. However, at baseline, patients with PAD exhibited 10% higher muscle oxygenation at 1-minute, 9% higher at 2-minute, and 5% higher at 3-minute when walking with CF compared to the SL shoes. After a three-month intervention with preferred shoes, PAD patients showed 28% higher muscle oxygenation at 1-minute, 25% higher at 2-minute, and 24% higher at 3-minute when walking with preferred shoes. Conclusion: Muscle oxygenation reduction and walking limitation leads to pathological changes in the leg muscles of patients with PAD. The CF shoes had greater improvement in muscle oxygenation level at a single visit than the SL shoes. A three-month intervention with a preferred assistive shoe improved the muscle oxygenation level of the patients with PAD by decreasing the load on the calf muscles.