Gait Analysis after Lower Limb Functional Reconstruction

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Functional Muscle Transfers to restore normal function after major Lower Limb Sarcoma/ Trauma – Assessment by Gait Analysis and Virtual Reality Environmental Simulation

• IRAS ID

  229770

• Contact name

  Steven Lo

• Contact email

  steven.lo@nhs.net

• Sponsor organisation

  Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS

• Duration of Study in the UK

  1 years, 0 months, 1 days

• Research summary

  Proposal

  Sarcoma surgery has progressed from limb amputation to limb preserving surgery since the early 1980s. However, a preserved limb does not equate to a functional limb. Patients may be left with significant disability and reliant on crutches and unable to return to normal activities. Our aim in this study is not simply preserve the limb, but to restore the function in the limb to near normal, in order that our patients can return to activities such as sport, leisure and work.

  Methods

  Surgical procedures can restore muscle function after muscles have been removed, for example we can transfer muscles from other parts of the body (eg back) to restore function in the leg. This study aims to assess the outcomes of these operations, as they have not been well assessed in previous studies.

  Our assessment of patient’s function has 3 components
  1. Subjective assessment with questionnaires such as the Toronto Extremity Salvage Score
  2. Gait analysis – this employs 3D cameras, and force plates to objectively assess the patient’s ability to walk
  3. Environmental simulators – this will employ a state-of-the-art simulator that can assess a patient’s ability to navigate simulated environments eg walking uphill/ going shopping

  Outcomes
  We have already completed a pilot assessment of our patients with functional muscle reconstructions, using 3D gait analysis that is performed as part of our routine post-op assessment. This shows that our patients with functional muscle transfers have a gait which is nearly normal, and they no longer need crutches or braces. The environmental simulator is the novel part of this study proposal, which uses a virtual reality system to assess patients in different environments and challenges e.g. walking up hill in a forest.

  We think this is the future of sarcoma surgery, and offers hope to patients that not only will they ultimately be cured of their disease, but lead entirely normal lives.

• REC name

  North West - Haydock Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  18/NW/0165

• Date of REC Opinion

  5 Mar 2018

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion