Gait and long cane kinematics: a comparison of sighted and visually impaired subjects. 1998

J T Johnson, and B F Johnson, and B B Blasch, and W D de l'Aune
Department of Kinesiology and Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta 30303-3083, USA.

Although visually impaired individuals have used the long cane to increase mobility for many years, few empirical studies have examined the effectiveness of this tool. The purposes of this research were to determine if these cane procedures provide adequate protection for visually impaired individuals and to compare sighted and visually impaired gait mechanics. Seven sighted (four females, three males) and five visually impaired subjects (two females, three males) were videotaped at 60 Hz by two cameras situated at opposite 45 degrees angles to the subjects' frontal plane so that three-dimensional coordinates could be calculated via direct linear transformation. One-way analyses of variance were calculated on 17 variables to determine if there was a significant biomechanical difference between sighted and visually impaired gait at an adjusted alpha = .003. The results showed that for both groups the cane tip touched outside where the foot landed and that the only variable significantly different between the two groups was resultant cane velocity. The major conclusion of this research was that present cane techniques may not provide adequate protection for visually impaired individuals since the purpose of mobility training is to have the person touch the ground with the cane tip at the foot contact positions.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D002183 Canes Sticks used as walking aids. The canes may have three or four prongs at the end of the shaft. Walking Sticks,Cane,Stick, Walking,Sticks, Walking,Walking Stick
D005260 Female Females
D005684 Gait Manner or style of walking. Gaits
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000704 Analysis of Variance A statistical technique that isolates and assesses the contributions of categorical independent variables to variation in the mean of a continuous dependent variable. ANOVA,Analysis, Variance,Variance Analysis,Analyses, Variance,Variance Analyses
D001696 Biomechanical Phenomena The properties, processes, and behavior of biological systems under the action of mechanical forces. Biomechanics,Kinematics,Biomechanic Phenomena,Mechanobiological Phenomena,Biomechanic,Biomechanic Phenomenas,Phenomena, Biomechanic,Phenomena, Biomechanical,Phenomena, Mechanobiological,Phenomenas, Biomechanic
D014743 Videotape Recording Recording of visual and sometimes sound signals on magnetic tape. Tape Recording, Video,Videotapes,Recording, Video Tape,Recording, Videotape,Recordings, Video Tape,Recordings, Videotape,Tape Recordings, Video,Video Tape Recording,Video Tape Recordings,Videotape,Videotape Recordings
D014786 Vision Disorders Visual impairments limiting one or more of the basic functions of the eye: visual acuity, dark adaptation, color vision, or peripheral vision. These may result from EYE DISEASES; OPTIC NERVE DISEASES; VISUAL PATHWAY diseases; OCCIPITAL LOBE diseases; OCULAR MOTILITY DISORDERS; and other conditions (From Newell, Ophthalmology: Principles and Concepts, 7th ed, p132). Hemeralopia,Macropsia,Micropsia,Day Blindness,Metamorphopsia,Vision Disability,Visual Disorders,Visual Impairment,Blindness, Day,Disabilities, Vision,Disability, Vision,Disorder, Visual,Disorders, Visual,Hemeralopias,Impairment, Visual,Impairments, Visual,Macropsias,Metamorphopsias,Micropsias,Vision Disabilities,Vision Disorder,Visual Disorder,Visual Impairments
D019987 Visually Impaired Persons Persons with loss of vision such that there is an impact on activities of daily living. Blind Persons,Persons with Visual Impairments,Visually Disabled Persons,Blind Person,Disabled Person, Visually,Disabled Persons, Visually,Impaired Person, Visually,Impaired Persons, Visually,Person, Blind,Person, Visually Disabled,Person, Visually Impaired,Persons, Blind,Persons, Visually Disabled,Persons, Visually Impaired,Visually Disabled Person,Visually Impaired Person

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