A kinematic analysis of recovery of the ability to stand up following stroke.

The purpose of this study was to determine the change in some kinematic characteristics of standing up as patients recovered following stroke. Patients who have had a stroke resulting in a diagnosis of hemiplegia, but with no other involvement, were videotaped on two occasions; when they could first stand up independently and again when they could stand up and sit down three times in 10 seconds with no observable asymmetry. A kinematic analysis yielded angular displacement and velocity data from the affected hip and knee joints. The results indicate that the kinematic characteristics that changed significantly as the subjects improved their ability to stand up are related more to velocity than to angular displacement. Movement time decreased, peak angular velocities increased and the velocity profiles shifted towards normal. This implies that in the clinic, once a patient can stand up independently, improvement on this task will be promoted if motor training includes strategies that affect these temporal characteristics.