Abstract
[Purpose] The ankle joint muscle activities during gait of hemiplegics exhibiting a nearly normal knee pattern (NKP) and the extension thrust pattern (ETP), in which the knee extends in the stance phase of the hemiplegic side, were analyzed. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were 14 hemiplegic patients in the recovery stage, and the activities of their hemiplegic side tibialis anterior (TA) and gastrocnemius (Gas) muscles were measured in the stance phase of the hemplegic side during gait at a self-selected speed. [Results] In the NKP, activity of TA in the loading response phase was significantly greater than in the single-leg support phase, but in the ETP no significant differences in TA were found during the stance phase. No significant differences in Gas activities were found in the stance phase of either group of subjects. [Conclusion] The results suggest the possibility that in the stance phase of the hemiplegic side, TA activity is a factor contributing to knee extension during the loading response phase of the hemiplegic side.
