GAIT PARAMETERS FOLLOWING STROKE - A PRACTICAL ASSESSMENT

Mechanical methods of quantifying gait are more sensitive to change th an is direct clinical inspection. To assess gait parameters and patter ns of patients with stroke, and the temporal changes of these paramete rs, a foot-switch gait analyzer was used to test 49 ambulatory patient s with stroke and 24 controls. Patients walked significantly slower th an controls, with decreased cadence, increased gait cycle, and increas ed time in double Limb support. Patients' hemiplegic limbs spent more time in swing and stance when compared to controls; their unaffected L imbs spent significantly more time in stance and single limb support c ompared to controls. Patients' hemiplegic side, when compared with the unaffected side, spent less time in stance and more time in swing. A flatfoot pattern was typically noted on the affected side. General gai t parameters improved over time, with the largest changes occurring in the first 12 months. However, the percentage of time spent in double and single limb support, stance and swing, parameters which describe t he asymmetrical pattern of gait, did not change over time. Abnormal ga it was due to difficulty in moving the body over an unstable limb. Gai t analysis can be of importance in documenting abnormalities and deter mining the effects of therapeutic modalities.