Quantitative kinematics of gait patterns during the recovery period after stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the potential of a new quantitative kinematic analysis for the documentation and evaluation of recovery of gait function after neurological injury.

METHODS

We assessed the kinematics of gait function in 16 patients with hemiplegia at varying intervals over a 1-year period after a stroke, using a novel method for gait pattern assessment based on principal component analysis. Conventional measures such as gait speed and stride length were also evaluated. Testing started as soon as patients became ambulatory after stroke.

RESULTS

Of the 16 patients assessed, 7 showed at least a 50% increase in self-selected gait speed from the first to the last test. The results of the pattern analysis closely mirrred self-selected gait speed at higher speeds, but relative rankings derived from gait speed and the pattern analysis did not match for 6 of the 16 patients. Kinematic pattern analysis suggested that different mechanisms were used to generate changes in gait speed at different speed levels.

CONCLUSION

There is a sizable fraction of the stroke population for whom kinematic gait pattern analysis can provide information that is different from that provided by speed, stride length, and cadence. The kinematic analysis can potentially provide information about the mechanisms of pathological gait.