Immediate effect of different ankle-foot orthosis functions with the same dorsiflexed setting of initial ankle joint angle on walking ability in individuals with chronic stroke: a randomized crossover trial.

[Purpose] To investigate how different ankle-foot orthosis functions with the same dorsiflexed setting of initial ankle joint angle affect the walking ability in individuals with chronic stroke. [Participants and Methods] In this randomized crossover study, participants underwent a 10-m walking test and walked on a WalkWay MW-1000 three times under these conditions: (1) without ankle-foot orthosis; (2) with ankle-foot orthosis with an adjustable posterior strut at 5° of fixed dorsiflexion; and (3) with ankle-foot orthosis with an adjustable posterior strut at 5-20° of restricted dorsiflexion. The primary outcome was walking speed on the 10-m walking test.