Influence of feet position on COP measures in post-stroke patients in quiet standing.

Background: Foot placement is an important methodological parameter in experiments for analyzing the behavior of the center of pressure (CoP) duringquiet standing. In the case of stroke patients, this is a relevant issue, as the standardized position, usually adopted is not ecological.

Reseach Question: Do between-limb synchronization, weight-bearing symmetry, and amplitude of the postural sway of post-stroke individuals differ between standardized and comfortable foot positions during quiet standing?

Methods: A total of 36 volunteers (20 with stroke and 16 healthy) stood barefoot, for 60 s, on two force plates with feet in a comfortable and standardized position (14° of external rotation and heels 17 cm apart).