Relationship of a 30-second chair-stand test to gait performance in stroke patients

Abstract

The action of standing up is often used in, for example, the measurement of performance, lower limb muscle strength and estimates of gait performance. The objective of this study was to clarify the relationship between the 30-second chair-stand test and lower limb muscle strength and gait performance, using 15 hemiplegic stroke patients as subjects, and to investigate the clinical application of the test. Correlations were found between the 30-second chair-stand test and the hemiplegic side knee extension strength (r=0.61), as well as the 10 m maximum gait (r=-0.91). The 30-second chair-stand test measures the number of times it is possible to stand from sitting in a chair within 30 seconds, and it can be easily performed in a clinical situation. Furthermore, the possibility is suggested, that hemiplegic patients' gait performance can be easily assessed by the chair-stand test.