Effects of the Immobilization of the Upper Extremities on Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters during Walking in Stroke Patients: A Preliminary Study.

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of upper extremity immobilization and consequent walking speed on spatiotemporal gait parameters in stroke patients with hemiparesis.

Methods: The following variables were assessed or measured in 29 stroke patients: age, height, weight, disease duration, Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-K), Berg balance scale (BBS-K), functional gait assessment (FGA-K), cause of the disease (type of lesion), and hemiparetic side. The measurement of gait was performed using two pressure plates of 1.