Ankle-foot orthosis in stroke survivors: status of the issue

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of information regarding the peculiarity of ankle joint orthosis in cerebral stroke survivors. Gait research methods used to assess gait changes in patients who had suffered a cerebral stroke were briefly reviewed. The three most common patterns of gait impairment after a stroke, namely, stiff-knee gait, “dropped foot,” and gait with knee joint hyperextension, were described. A brief review of the main functional types of ankle joint orthoses, namely, static and dynamic, considering their strengths and weaknesses, was presented. Changes in temporal, spatial, and kinematic parameters of gait in cerebral stroke survivors using orthoses were reported. Changes in gait parameters when using ankle joint orthoses depending on the initial pattern of gait disturbance were assessed. The effect of orthotics on the angles of flexion in the ankle, knee, and hip joints at various gait phases as well as their effect on the speed, rhythm, and length of the step were described. Data on the effect of ankle orthosis on patient’s ability to maintain balance were also presented. The effects of orthosis on gait biomechanics and balance function in stroke survivors are debatable. Thus, our findings in this study allow us to raise the question regarding the optimal timing of the use of ankle joint orthoses during the recovery period of a stroke. Possible reasons for these ambiguous results were considered. The necessity for further research into the effectiveness of ankle–foot orthoses regarding various pathological gait patterns in stroke survivors is justified.