C Bleyenheuft1, T Deltombe, C Detrembleur. 1. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, université catholique de Louvain, cliniques universitaires de Mont-Godinne, 1, rue Thérasse, 5530 Yvoir, Belgium. corinne.bleyenheuft@uclouvain.be
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of ankle-foot orthosis on lower limbs kinematic segmental covariation (KSC) among stroke patients. METHODS: Ten chronic hemiparetic spastic stroke patients presenting with a lack of ankle dorsiflexion were assessed with instrumented gait analysis under three conditions: wearing a shoe, with a prefabricated ankle-foot orthosis (AFO), and with a dynamic AFO. Kinematic parameters were recorded and computed KSC was calculated according to Borghese's methodology. RESULTS: Contrary to the prefabricated AFO, the dynamic AFO improved KSC of the paretic side. We observed a high correlation between the external mechanical work and the affected side's KSC. In the unaffected side, KSC was globally unchanged. CONCLUSION: In stroke patients, wearing a dynamic AFO improves KSC of the paretic lower limb only.
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of ankle-foot orthosis on lower limbs kinematic segmental covariation (KSC) among strokepatients. METHODS: Ten chronic hemiparetic spastic strokepatients presenting with a lack of ankle dorsiflexion were assessed with instrumented gait analysis under three conditions: wearing a shoe, with a prefabricated ankle-foot orthosis (AFO), and with a dynamic AFO. Kinematic parameters were recorded and computed KSC was calculated according to Borghese's methodology. RESULTS: Contrary to the prefabricated AFO, the dynamic AFO improved KSC of the paretic side. We observed a high correlation between the external mechanical work and the affected side's KSC. In the unaffected side, KSC was globally unchanged. CONCLUSION: In strokepatients, wearing a dynamic AFO improves KSC of the paretic lower limb only.