Effects of ankle-foot orthosis with dorsiflexion resistance on the quasi-joint stiffness of the ankle joint and spatial asymmetry during gait in patients with hemiparesis.

Background: Reduced ankle quasi-joint stiffness affects propulsion in the paretic side of patients with hemiparesis, contributing to gait asymmetry. We investigated whether the use of an ankle-foot orthosis with dorsiflexion resistance to compensate for reduced stiffness would increase quasi-joint stiffness and spatiotemporal symmetry in patients with hemiparesis.

Methods: Seventeen patients walked along a 7-m walkway in both ankle-foot orthosis with dorsiflexion resistance and control (i.