Many patients with acoustic neuroma experience hearing loss, tinnitus, and
equilibrium disturbance. Gait studies performed using tactile sensors placed
under the feet have indicated that an acoustic neuroma causes unstable gait,
even though this cannot be detected by visual observation. Three-dimensional
motion analysis is a useful tool to assess gait. The purpose of this study was to
use a three-dimensional motion analysis system to quantify the spatiotemporal
and kinematic parameters of gait in patients with acoustic neuroma. Seventeen
patients with unilateral acoustic neuroma and seven age-, height-, and foot-sizematched
healthy subjects participated. Subjects were asked to walk 4 meters in
eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions. Gait speed, stride length, stride duration,
head movements in the vertical direction and yaw, pitch, and roll dimensions, gait
deviation, forefoot motion, and ankle plantar flexion angle at heel strike were
quantified. Patients with acoustic neuroma had slower gait with wider step width
and shorter stride length along with greater head movement in pitch and roll than
controls. In addition, patients with acoustic neuroma had lower ankle plantar
flexion angle at heel strike than controls, especially in the eyes-closed condition.
These characteristics of gait increase our understanding of the pathophysiological
changes caused by acoustic neuroma.