Knowledge of walking pattern is required for physical therapy, orthopedics and orthosis of CVA Patients. With force-plate, the gait information can be obtained consistently, rapidly and easily. There exists much literature on the force-plate studies, but there has been only a little amount of information about the pattern of the floor reaction force in Hemiplegic Gait. The pattern classification of the floor reaction force influenced by walking pattern is of considerable practical interest.
(1) Equinovarus Gait.
The vertical force (Fz) showed a slight increase after foot contact of the affected side and remained stationary during the most of the long double-support period. The deceleration and acceleration components of fore-aft force (Fy) were small and their shapes were not clear. The magnitude of the lateral force (Fx) was also small throughout the double-support period and became a large value only during the single-support period of the affected side. The orthosis, which applied to the affected foot, made all force components close to the normal forms.
(2) Gait with Considerable Pelvis Retraction.
During the period of early double-support phase, the affected side Fz first increased, after generally agreed with on the sound side, next decreased temporally and reached the minimum. After a time, the Fz again increased to body weight. The second peak value of Fx wave was larger than the first one.
(3) Snapping Gait.
The notch in the Fz increasing curve of the affected side during the weight applying phase had a larger value than in nomal walking. By the electrogoniometeric measurement, it was obtained that the notch appeared in the extensional motion of the kneejoint contrary to the flexional motion in normal walking.
(4) Abduction Gait with External Rotation of the Hip-Joint.
There was a large distance in the coronal plane between the floor contact point of the affected foot and the center of gravity of the body. As a consequence, the Fx force, especially the second peak force, was of remarkably larger magnitude than that seen in normal walking.
(5) Shuffling Gait.
After the appearance of the Fy acceleration component, the toe was dragged along the ground, so that there was the deceleration force again just before foot off.
(6) Circumduction Gait with Lateral-Bending of Trunk.
The Fx curve of the sound side became a deep valley form. The minimum point reached to approximately zero. At foot contact of the affected side, the Fx became the great and outward shock wave form.
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