Restoration of gait in nonambulatory hemiparetic patients by treadmill training with partial body-weight support.
The effect of a treadmill training with partial body-weight support was investigated in nine nonambulatory hemiparetic patients with a mean poststroke interval of 129 days. They had received regular physiotherapy within a comprehensive stroke rehabilitation program at least 3 weeks before the treadmill training without marked improvement of their gait ability. After 25 additional treadmill training sessions scoring of functional performance and conventional gait analysis showed a definite improvement: gait ability, assessed by the Functional Ambulation Category (0 to 5) improved with a mean of 2.2 points, other motor functions, assessed by the Rivermead Motor Assessment Score with a mean of +3.9 points for gross function (range 0 to 13) and of +3.2 points for leg and trunk section (range 0 to 10)] and gait cycle parameters (p < .01). Muscle tone and strength of the paretic lower limb remained stable. We suggest that treadmill training with partial body-weight support could augment restoration of ambulation and other motor functions in hemiparetic patients by active and repetitive training.
Hesse
S
S
Department of Neurological Rehabilitation, Free University Berlin, Germany.
Bertelt
C
C
Schaffrin
A
A
Malezic
M
M
Mauritz
K H
KH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008124:Locomotion; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology