Effects of toe spreader on plantar pressure and gait in chronic stroke patients.

Background: The feet make the initial contact with the ground when walking and critically control both posture and gait. Claw toe, a structural change in the foot that may develop after stroke, triggers functional changes affecting both the lower limbs and balance.

Objective: We analyzed the effects of a toe spreader on foot pressure and gait in chronic stroke patients.

Methods: We enrolled 25 stroke patients. We used Gaitview AFA-50 and GAITRite instruments to measure plantar pressure distribution and gait with and without a toe spreader.

Results: The average and rear foot pressures increased somewhat when a toe spreader was used. However, the differences were not significant in post hoc tests. In terms of gait, all variables significantly improved when the toe spreader was used.

Conclusions: A toe spreader may improve overall gait and spatiotemporal gait parameters in chronic stroke patients.