Gait Analysis of Pool-Floor Walking with Additional Weight on Affected Limb for People with Stroke

Abstract

Aquatic therapy settings have become increasingly popular for gait rehabilitation for people post-stroke; however limbs that are not under complete neuromotor control are inclined to float or show other compensatory movements. However, there has been no research conducted on the affects of using an additional weight on the affected limb for people post-stroke. PURPOSE: To examine the kinematic and spatiotemporal gait variables of pool-floor walking with additional weight applied on the affected limb in people post-stroke. Three walking conditions were examined; additional weight above the ankle joint (ankle weight), below the knee joint (knee weight), and no additional weight (no weight). METHODS: Twenty-one individuals post-stroke (5 females, 16 males, 66.1±11 yrs) participated in this study. A repeated measures study design was used to compare the aquatic gait patterns among three different conditions for pool-floor walking. Each participant walked across a 7.5m walkway in the movable floor pool, where the water was adjusted to each participant's chest level. Each participant was asked to walk at their maximum speed. They completed three trials for each condition with 2-minute breaks in between trials. All trials were captured through six underwater lenses connected to and recorded by six digital video cameras. 15 reflective markers were placed on bony landmarks of the lower extremities. All markers were digitized and processed using motion analysis software. RESULTS: The data showed significant differences in both kinematic and spatiotemporal variables when using either an ankle weight or a knee weight when compared to no weight. The application of a weight increased walking speed (0.64 vs.0.27 m/s, p <0.05), and increased range of motion in the knee and hip joints of the affected limb (Ps < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The use of an additional weight promotes the use of a wider range of motion of the affected leg during aquatic gait training.