Relationship between Walking Parameters and Plantar Pressure during the Stance Phase in Hemiplegic Stroke Patients

Abstract

[Purpose] This study investigated the relationship between walking speed, stride length on the paralyzed/non-paralyzed side, step rate and plantar pressure in the early and late stance phases in order to elucidate the mechanism of walking ability improvement in hemiplegic patients. [Participants and Methods] We analyzed the fast walking of 41 hemiplegic stroke patients who could walk 5 m or more on their own. [Results] Positive correlations were found between walking speed, stride length on the paralyzed/non-paralyzed side, step rate and plantar pressure in the early stance phase. Age was identified as an explanatory factor in multiple regression analysis with the step rate as the objective variable. [Conclusion] The results suggest that hemiplegic patients improve their walking ability by increasing the braking force in the early stance phase on the non-paralyzed side to compensate for the load transfer to the forefoot on the paralyzed side during the same period, thereby increasing stride length and step rate. In the younger age group, walking ability was improved by increasing stride length rather than step rate.