Gait characteristics of patients with claudication

Abstract

Objective: Intermittent claudication of the lower extremity vessels produces pain during walking. This study differentiates walking patterns of patients with claudication from walking patterns of healthy individuals.

Design: Nonrandomized case control study performed in a teaching university hospital outpatient setting.

Patients: The sample of convenience involved male patients with lower extremity claudication (n = 19) and 11 healthy men of similar ages.

Interventions: Subjects were asked to walk at self-selected speed for 20 meters on a level, indoor surface.

Outcome measures: Walking velocity and number of steps were averaged over each of five trials, and step length was calculated from these measures.

Results: Patients with claudication walked slower and had decreased step length and decreased cadence compared with controls (p < .001). No positive relationship was found between disease severity, peak walking time, and step length, cadence, or speed.

Conclusion: All patients with claudication, regardless of disease severity, demonstrated abnormal gait parameters compared with controls. Further studies should evaluate whether the abnormal gait parameters significantly curtail walking ability.