Effect of Rocker Bar Ankle Foot Orthosis on Functional Mobility in Post-Stroke Hemiplegic Patients: Timed Up and Go and Gait Speed Assessments

Objectives: Ankle Foot Orthoses (AFOs) are widely utilized to improve walking ability inhemiplegic patients. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of Rocker bar Ankle FootOrthosis (RAFO) on functional mobility in post-stroke hemiplegic patients. Methods: Fifteen hemiplegic patients (men and women) who were at least 6-months poststrokeand able to walk without an assistive device for at least 10 meters voluntarily participatedin this study. The patients were examined for three conditions: shoes only, with SAFO and withRAFO. Their functional mobility was evaluated through 10-meter walk test and Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. In addition, paired t-test was used to analyze the obtained data. Results: When the patients used RAFO, their gait speed significantly increased (P