Gait asymmetry and balance in hemiplegic stroke survivors

Abstract

Objective To explore any correlation between gait asymmetry and the balance of hemiplegic stroke survivors.Methods Thirty patients with hemiplegia caused by stroke but who could walk more than 10 metres independently were recruited as the experimental group; 30 age-matched healthy elderly people served as the control group.An AL-600 gait analyzer was used to quantify the spatial and temporal gait parameters of all subjects.Gait asymmetry ratios were calculated.The 30 stroke patients were also assessed with the Berg balance scale (BBS).Two independent sample t-tests were used to compare the step length asymmetry (SLA),swing time asymmetry (SWTA) and STA (stance time asymmetry) ratios for the two groups and their average step widths.Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated relating the SLA,SWTA,STA,step width and BBS results.Results Among the experimental group,swing time and step length on the affected side were significantly different from the unaffected side,and stance time on the affected side was significantly shorter.The control group showed no such significant differences.All of the experimental group's average asymmetry ratios were significantly greater than those of the control group,as was their step width.Step width and BBS score were negative correlated,but step width was positively correlated with the step length and swing time asymmetry ratios.BBS scores were negatively correlated with the step length and swing time asymmetry ratios.Stance time asymmetry and step width showed no significant correlation with the BBS scores.Conclusion The gait of hemiplegic stroke patients is both spatially and temporally asymmetric,and a certain correlation exists between the degree of asymmetry and balance function. Key words: Stroke; Gait; Gait asymmetry; Balance; Hemiplegia