Changes in passive ankle stiffness and its effects on gait function in people with chronic stroke

Your therapist can probably use this to prevent it being a problem before you get to the chronic phase.
http://search.naric.com/research/rehab/redesign_record.cfm?search=2&type=all&criteria=J67079&phrase=no&rec=122844
Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development (JRRD) (formerly the Bulletin of Prosthetics Research) , Volume 50(4) , Pgs. 555-572.

NARIC Accession Number: J67079.  What's this?
ISSN: 0748-7711.
Author(s): Roy, Anindo; Forrester, Larry W.; Macko, Richard F.; Krebs, Hermano I..
Publication Year: 2013.
Number of Pages: 18.
Abstract: Study investigated the effects of robot-assisted ankle training on the paretic passive ankle stiffness (PAS) and its relationship to overground gait function in people with chronic stroke. Over a 6-week period, eight participants with residual hemiparetic deficits engaged in a visuomotor task while seated that required dorsiflexion (DF) or plantar flexion (PF) of their paretic ankle, with an ankle robot assisting as needed. PAS was measured in both the trained sagittal and untrained frontal planes. After 6 weeks, the PAS decreased in both DF and PF and reverted into the variability of age-matched controls in DF. Changes in PF PAS correlated strongly with gains in paretic step lengths and paretic stride lengths during independent floor walking. Moreover, baseline PF PAS were correlated with gains in paretic step lengths, paretic stride lengths, and single-support stance duration; and baseline eversion PAS were correlated with gains in cadence. Findings suggest that ankle robot-assisted, visuomotor-based, isolated ankle training has a positive effect on paretic ankle PAS that strongly influences key measures of gait function.
Descriptor Terms: AMBULATION, HEMIPLEGIA, JOINTS, MOBILITY TRAINING, MOTOR SKILLS, ROBOTICS, STROKE, THERAPEUTIC TRAINING.

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