Abstract
We analyzed hemiparalytic walking conditions in patients with cerebral apoplexy, using a floor reaction force plate (AMTI model BP-7116, 2 faces left and right, with 40cm×180cm on each face, left and right step-system) . The subjects were 36 patients with hemi-paralysis at the stable stage (Brunnstrom stage: 11 with stage VI, 11 with stage V, 9 with stage IV and 5 with stage III) who were able to walk without a cane. The subjects walked in their bare feet on a “walkway” about 5.0 m long, in which a floor reaction force plate was buried. The waves in the vertical direction (Fz wave) and forward-backward direction (Fy wave) to the floor reaction force, on the affected leg side, were measured and recorded. The patterns of the Fz and Fy waves were classified, referring to previous reports. Analysis of the waves was then attempted from relations between the Brunnstrom stage and walking speed. Functional recovery was investigated in three different age groups for occurrence of cerebral apoplexy. In 8 hemiparalysis patients who were at the recovery stage, Fz and Fy waves were measured with the passage of time at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 10 weeks, where the point when the patient was able to walk for the first time was regarded as 0 week, and the waves at the recovery stage were investigated. The results were as follows: (1) Both Fz and Fy waves could be classified into 5 categories each. (2) With respect to the Fz waves, where as many patients aged 50 years or older showed ascending slow wave patterns, no difference among three different agegroups was seen. Functionally, when the walking speed became slow, both ascending and descending slow waves were evident. (3) There were no differences in the Fy waves from the affected side among three groups. Functionally, at slow walking speed, the decceleration component of the waves from the affected side became greater. (4) With respect to recovery from hemiparalytic symptoms after onset, the Fy waves were normal earlier than the Fz waves, in several patients. These findings indicated that wave-patterns recorded by the floor reaction force plate is an objective index for evaluating the walking condition in patients with cerebral apoplexy.
