Gait parameters following stroke : a practical assessment

Mechanical methods of quantifying gait are more sensitive to change than is direct clinical inspection. To assess gait parameters and patterns of patients with stroke, and the temporal changes of these parameters, a foot-switch gait analyzer was used to test 49 ambulatory patients with stroke and 24 controls. Patients walked significantly slower than controls, with decreased cadence, increased gait cycle, and increased time in double limb support. Patients' hemiplegic limbs spent more time in swing and stance when compared to controls; their unaffected limbs spent significantly more time in stance and single limb support compared 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 gait 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 the asymmetrical pattern of gait, did not change over time. Abnormal gait was due to difficulty in moving the body over an unstable limb. Gait analysis can be of importance in documenting abnormalities and determining the effects of therapeutic modalities.