J Korean Acad Rehabil Med.
2001 Oct;25(5):836-841.
Effects of Plastic Ankle-Foot Orhtosis on Hemiplegic Ambulation
- Affiliations
-
- 1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehbilitation, Ajou University School of Medicine.
- 2Department of Physical Medicine and Rehbilitation, Wonjin Green Hospital.
- 3Department of Rehbilitation Medicine, Suncunheang University College of Medicine.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
This study was performed to investigate the energy expenditure at self-selected comfortable and fast walking speeds with or without plastic ankle-foot orthosis in hemiplegic patients.
METHOD: Objects of this study were 10 ambulatory hemiplegic patients. To estimate oxygen consumption, we used K2 machine and measured gait speed, stride length, stride frequency, and heart rate energy expenditure index (EEI) with or without plastic ankle-foot orthosis.
RESULTS
Stride length and gait speed of the hemiplegic patients with plastic ankle-foot orthosis significantly increased at their comfortable walking speed pattern. Oxygen consumption, oxygen cost and EEI significantly decreased in hemiplegic patients with plastic ankle-foot orthosis whether their gait speed pattern.
CONCLUSION
The plastic ankle-foot orthosis is useful for the hemiplegic patients to increase walking speed and to reduce energy expenditure.