Foot varus in stroke patients: muscular activity of extensor digitorum longus during the swing phase of gait.

Background: Hemiparetic patients often present an abnormal leg muscles balance that can lead to foot deformities like equinovarus or varus.

Objective: To assess whether a muscle imbalance between tibialis anterior and extensor digitorum longus was associated with a varus deformity of the foot during the swing phase of gait in stroke patients.

Methods: Twenty hemiparetic patients presenting a foot varus during the swing phase of gait were compared to 16 healthy subjects.

Biomechanical analysis of postural control of persons with transtibial or transfemoral amputation.

Objective: In human subjects, leg amputation impairs upright quiet-stance control. The inability to exert appropriate force reactions under the amputated leg and a slight weight-bearing asymmetry cause the amputee to develop compensatory mechanisms through the sound leg. This study is aimed at assessing these mechanisms and the influence of the level of amputation.

Lateral ankle sprain alters postural control in bipedal stance: part 2 sensorial and mechanical effects induced by wearing an ankle orthosis.

To investigate the effects induced by wearing an orthosis during the rehabilitation process, 23 ankle sprain patients (degrees I and II) were evaluated in three conditions (reference, with an elastic compression stocking and with an orthosis), 14 h, 10 and 30 days on average after their injury and compared with those of 30 age-matched healthy individuals. The patients were tested with separate measurements of the reaction forces under each limb to highlight the possible compensatory mechanisms between the sound and the injured legs. Their postural stability was enhanced during unilateral orthosis wear, explained by a bilateral effect involving both feet.

Lateral ankle sprain alters postural control in bipedal stance--part 1: restoration over the 30 days following the injury.

The time evolution of the postural behavior of 23 lateral ankle sprain patients (degrees I and II) were evaluated 14 h and 10 and 30 days on average after their injury and compared with those of 30 age-matched healthy individuals. The patients were tested with separate measurements of the reaction forces under each limb to highlight the possible compensatory mechanisms between the sound and the injured legs. Their postural behavior in bipedal stance was characterised by a weight-bearing asymmetry with more weight on the sound leg and an asymmetry of the postural stabilisation mechanisms, which are limited and perturbed under the injured leg.

[Immediate effects of physiotherapy session of lower limb by balneotherapy on postural control].

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the immediate effects of standard physiotherapy (S) and balneotherapy (B) on the postural capacity of subjects with lower-limb injuries.

Methods: The postural sway of 12 voluntary subjects was evaluated before (REF1 and REF2) and after two different physiotherapy sessions performed in the swimming pool (B) or under (S). The centre of pressure (CP) trajectory was recorded by use of a force platform.