Quadriceps muscle activity during walking with a knee ankle foot orthosis is associated with improved gait ability in acute hemiplegic stroke patients with severe gait disturbance.

Introduction: A knee-ankle-foot orthosis (KAFO) prevents knee buckling during walking and enables gait training for acute hemiplegic stroke patients with severe gait disturbances. Although the goal of gait training with a KAFO is to improve gait ability, that is, to acquire walking with an ankle-foot orthosis (AFO), it is not clear how gait training with a KAFO contributes to improving gait ability. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between muscle activities during walking with a KAFO and the improvement of gait ability in hemiplegic stroke patients with severe gait disturbance.

The MMT of Elbow Flexion and the AFE Predict Impairment and Disability at 3 Weeks in Patients With Acute Stroke.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate whether upper extremity motor function assessment within 72 h from stroke onset can predict the functional outcomes of the upper extremity.

Design: This was a prospective, cohort study of patients with a first unilateral hemispheric stroke between May 2018 and March 2020. The motor arm item of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, manual muscle testing of the elbow and forearm, and active finger extension scale were assessed within 72 h after stroke onset.

The development of Ambulation Independence Measure: A new measurement tool to assess gait ability in acute stroke patients.

Background: The assessment of gait function is important for stroke rehabilitation. Gait function of patients with stroke often depends on the type of orthosis. There are however few gait assessments that assess the type of orthosis.