BACKGROUND: Ankle-foot orthoses (AFO) have been used to improve the gait of individuals post stroke, but their use has come into question secondary to increased understanding of motor re-learning. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a change in tibialis anterior muscle electromyography, ankle angle, or gait velocity when individuals post stroke walk with a posterior leaf-spring AFO (PLAFO) or a dynamic ankle orthosis (DAO). STUDY DESIGN: Repeated measures. METHODS: Fifteen participants post stroke walked without an orthosis, with a PLAFO, and with a DAO. Data were gathered using electromyography, force plates, and three-dimensional motion analysis cameras. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to test for statistical significance (p ≤ 0.05). RESULTS: Participants exhibited significantly less tibialis anterior muscle electromyography during the swing phase of gait with use of a DAO (p < 0.001). No change in velocity or ankle angle was exhibited with use of either orthosis. CONCLUSIONS: The results support therapists' notions that bracing can lead to a decline in tibialis anterior muscle activity during the swing phase of gait. The results also showed no improvement in gait velocity when either orthosis was used by participants who could walk without an orthosis.
BACKGROUND: Ankle-foot orthoses (AFO) have been used to improve the gait of individuals post stroke, but their use has come into question secondary to increased understanding of motor re-learning. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a change in tibialis anterior muscle electromyography, ankle angle, or gait velocity when individuals post stroke walk with a posterior leaf-spring AFO (PLAFO) or a dynamic ankle orthosis (DAO). STUDY DESIGN: Repeated measures. METHODS: Fifteen participants post stroke walked without an orthosis, with a PLAFO, and with a DAO. Data were gathered using electromyography, force plates, and three-dimensional motion analysis cameras. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to test for statistical significance (p ≤ 0.05). RESULTS:Participants exhibited significantly less tibialis anterior muscle electromyography during the swing phase of gait with use of a DAO (p < 0.001). No change in velocity or ankle angle was exhibited with use of either orthosis. CONCLUSIONS: The results support therapists' notions that bracing can lead to a decline in tibialis anterior muscle activity during the swing phase of gait. The results also showed no improvement in gait velocity when either orthosis was used by participants who could walk without an orthosis.