Effect of a cane on sit-to-stand transfer in subjects with hemiparesis

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of using a cane on movement time, joint moment, weight symmetry, and muscle activation patterns during sit-to-stand (STS) transfer in healthy subjects and subjects who have had a stroke. Nine subjects with hemiparesis (mean [SD] age, 61.11 [12.83] yrs) and nine healthy adults (mean [SD] age, 63.11 [10.54] yrs) were included. The subjects with hemiparesis performed STS transfer in two randomly assigned conditions: (1) without a cane and (2) with a cane. The healthy subjects performed only STS transfer without a cane. A three-dimensional motion system, force plates, and eletromyography were used to examine STS transfer. The symmetry index between the two limbs was calculated. The movement time of the subjects with hemiparesis in both conditions without a cane and with a cane was longer than that of the healthy subjects without a cane (P < 0.025). However, STS transfer with a cane in the subjects with hemiparesis resulted in shorter movement time, greater knee extensor moment of the paretic limb, and more symmetry of weight bearing than in those without a cane (P < 0.05). The sequence of muscle onset tended to improve with a cane in the subjects with hemiparesis. Cane use may promote more symmetrical STS transfers rather than compensation by the unaffected limb.