Degenerative lumbar spine disease (DLSD) is common in elderly individuals and can result in pain, muscle weakness, and paresthesia. Numerous studies have reported that patients with DLSD usually have postural balance instability, which may affect the patient's gait, functional activities, and quality of life. The investigators propose to achieve the following aims: (1) to develop a clinical balance diagnostic tool to identify patients with DLSD who may require lumbar surgery (2) to investigate the effects of virtual reality skateboard exercise training on gait and balance in patients with DLSD, as well as to compare them with asymptomatic participants.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
200
The virtual reality skateboard training (VR-skate) is used treadmill-based training. Virtual reality system is integrated into the split-belt treadmill for VR-skate. Participants slide the swing leg (sliding leg) along with the moving treadmill belt at a comfortable speed (same as walking speed).
National Taiwan University Hospital
Taipei, Taiwan, 100, Taiwan
Postural balance
The postural balance measurements are performed by using a force platform. The data from the force platform is used to calculate the mean velocity (unit: cm/s), mean distance (unit: cm), mean frequency (unit: Hz), and 95% confidence ellipse area (unit: cm\^2)
Time frame: 1 year
Functional assessment
Functional assessment is a process that allows for the identification of disability. The data from the functional assessment is used to calculate walking speed (unit: m/s), walking distance (unit: m), and duration (unit: s).
Time frame: 1 year
Muscle activities
Electromyography is a technique for evaluating and recording muscle activity. The data from electromyography is used to calculate a normalized value (unit: ratio).
Time frame: 1 year
Kinematic variables
A motion capture system is used to measure the joint kinematics. The data is used to calculate joint angles (unit: degree) and the displacement of the center of mass (unit: cm).
Time frame: 1 year
Lumbar Cobb angle
The Lumbar Cobb angle is a measure of the curvature in the lower spine, determined from X-ray images by assessing the angle between the most tilted vertebrae (unit: degree)
Time frame: 1 year
Body composition
Body composition was evaluated utilizing the bioelectrical impedance analysis technique. The primary parameters assessed encompassed body fat percentage, visceral fat area, lean muscle mass of the trunk, and the average muscle mass of the lower extremities (unit: percentage %) .
Time frame: 1 year
Pain by Visual Analog Scale (VAS)
The VAS pain scale, ranging from 1 to 10, provides a rapid assessment of pain intensity, with individuals marking their level of pain on a line from "no pain" to "worst pain imaginable (unit: score) .
Time frame: 1 year
Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ)
The RMDQ (Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire) is a widely used self-reported questionnaire that assesses the impact of low back pain on daily functioning. It consists of 24 statements related to daily activities affected by back pain. It's commonly used in clinical settings to evaluate the severity of low back pain and track treatment progress (unit: score). Scores range from 0 to 24, with higher scores indicating more severe disability.
Time frame: 1 year
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