Abstract
Iwata M, Kondo I, Sato Y, Satoh K, Soma M, Tsushima E. An ankle-foot orthosis with an inhibitor bar: effect on hemiplegic gait. Objective: To test whether an inhibitor bar attached to an ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) improves walking ability in hemiplegic stroke patients with tonic toe flexion reflex (TTFR). Design: Before-after trial. Setting: Rehabilitation hospital in Japan. Participants: Nine patients with TTFR were assigned to the TTFR group, and 8 patients without TTFR were assigned to the control group. Intervention: Inhibitor bar attached to an AFO. Main Outcome Measure: Gait was analyzed by measuring the number of steps and the time required to walk 10m at a maximal walking speed. Results: In the TTFR group, use of an inhibitor bar for 2 weeks significantly increased the maximal walking speed, stride length, and cadence by 13.8% ( P=.0045), 8.0% ( P=.0398), and 6.1% ( P=.0056), respectively. There were no significant changes in the control group. Conclusion: An inhibitor bar improved walking ability of hemiplegic patients with TTFR, and its use with an AFO is recommended.
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