Thys H, Willems P A, Saels P
Laboratoire de Physiologie Humaine Appliquée, Université de Liège, Sart Tilman, Belgium.
J Biomech. 1996 Nov;29(11):1473-82. doi: 10.1016/0021-9290(96)84543-x.
Crutches are widely used to assist ambulation in disabled people. Many authors have shown that the use of crutches increases the energy cost as compared to normal walking. In this study we have measured the energy consumed and the mechanical work performed during swing-through crutch gait in order to assess if the greater energy expenditure is accompanied by an equivalent increase of the work done to move the body. Our results show that, depending upon the speed, the energy expenditure is 2-3 times higher in swing-through gait than in normal walking. On the other hand, the mechanical work increases only 1.3-1.5 times. Thus the extra cost of swing-through gait cannot be explained solely by an increase of the mechanical work, but is due at least in part to a reduction in the efficiency of positive work production.
拐杖被广泛用于辅助残疾人行走。许多作者已经表明，与正常行走相比，使用拐杖会增加能量消耗。在本研究中，我们测量了摆动式拐杖步态过程中消耗的能量和所做的机械功，以评估更高的能量消耗是否伴随着身体移动所做功的同等增加。我们的结果表明，根据速度不同，摆动式步态的能量消耗比正常行走高2至3倍。另一方面，机械功仅增加1.3至1.5倍。因此，摆动式步态的额外成本不能仅通过机械功的增加来解释，至少部分是由于正功产生效率的降低。
