title: Comparison of tibialis anterior muscle electromyography, ankle angle, and velocity when individuals post stroke walk with different orthoses.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ankle-foot orthoses (AFO) have been used to improve the gait of individuals post stroke, but their use has come into question secondary to increased understanding of motor re-learning.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a change in tibialis anterior muscle electromyography, ankle angle, or gait velocity when individuals post stroke walk with a posterior leaf-spring AFO (PLAFO) or a dynamic ankle orthosis (DAO).
  
  
  METHODS
  Repeated measures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen participants post stroke walked without an orthosis, with a PLAFO, and with a DAO. Data were gathered using electromyography, force plates, and three-dimensional motion analysis cameras. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to test for statistical significance (p ≤ 0.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants exhibited significantly less tibialis anterior muscle electromyography during the swing phase of gait with use of a DAO (p < 0.001). No change in velocity or ankle angle was exhibited with use of either orthosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results support therapists' notions that bracing can lead to a decline in tibialis anterior muscle activity during the swing phase of gait. The results also showed no improvement in gait velocity when either orthosis was used by participants who could walk without an orthosis.
authors.affiliation: University of Central Arkansas, Conway, USA. chadl@uca.edu
authors.forename: Chad
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lairamore
authors.forename: M Kevin
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Garrison
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bandy
authors.forename: Reta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zabel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000842:Ankle; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000502:physiology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D009989:Orthotic Devices; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014741:Video Recording; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*