Kinetics and Electromyographic Analysis of Hemiparetic Gait Patterns in Patients

Abstract

This study aimed to classify hemiparetic gait according to knee joint motion of the paretic limb during the stance phase. Knee joint angle and shank vertical angle in the sagittal plane were used to classify 35 hemiparetic patients into one of three groups : normal knee pattern (NKP, 15 patients), extension thrust pattern in loading response (ETP-LR, 15 patients), and extension thrust pattern in single stance (ETP-SS, 5 patients). Gait and electromyography were measured and groups were compared. Results showed that the NKP group had sufficient activity in the tibia anterior and sufficient dorsiflexor moment in loading response, and thus had heel rocker function. The ETP-SS group had excessive gastrocnemius muscle activity, which reduced dorsiflexion moment in the loading response. Lastly, the ETP-LR group did not show tibia anterior muscle activity in the loading response and thus had no heel rocker function.