Selected determinants of ambulatory capacity in patients with hemiplegia

Abstract

This study was performed to investigate, in 33 stroke patients, the relationships between gait speed, cadence, distance, and independence, and to determine whether five nonstrength and selected lower extremity strength variables, were indicative of present and/or future gait performance measured by the four gait variables. The gait variables were all correlated significantly with one another ( p<.001). Balance was correlated significantly with all present and future gait measures ( p<.01). All muscle group strength measures on the paretic side were related significantly to gait performance at the time of assessment and across assessment times ( p<.01). Most of the nonparetic muscle group strength measures were correlated significantly with gait performance. Balance and lower extremity muscle group strength measures therefore appear to be indicative of gait performance and appropriate targets for therapeutic interventions and more specific investigations.