The Immediate Effects of a Knee–Ankle–Foot Orthosis on Standing Reach in Individuals with Subacute Stroke

Abstract

Background and Objectives: A knee–ankle–foot orthosis (KAFO) has been clinically used for individuals with stroke, but its effect is still unclear. This study was to evaluate the immediate effects of a KAFO on the standing reach of individuals with subacute stroke.

Method: This study adopted a cross-sectional experimental design. A total of 31 inpatients with subacute stroke (mean age, 66.5 ± 14.4 years; mean poststroke interval at admission, 26.2 ± 10.1 days) were enrolled in the study. The functional reach test (FRT) was used to measure the standing reach of the participants with or without a KAFO. The participants were divided into the following groups on the basis of the results of FRT without a KAFO: group 1 comprised patients who were unable to reach without a KAFO (n = 22), and group 2 comprised patients who had the ability to reach without a KAFO (n = 9).

Results: In group 1, the proportion of participants who could reach with a KAFO significantly increased (p = 0.002). In group 2, the mean standing reach with a KAFO (25.4 ± 6.7 cm) was significantly longer than that without a KAFO (20.3 ± 7.0 cm) (p = 0.021).

Conclusion: The use of a KAFO may immediately improve the standing reach of individuals with subacute stroke. Results show that a KAFO may be an effective device for improving standing reach and can be used to develop rehabilitation programs for individuals with subacute stroke.