Plantar foot pressure distribution of stroke patients while crossing obstacles of different heights

Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the plantar foot pressure distribution of stroke patients while crossing obstacles of different heights. [Subjects] Eight subjects (right hemiplegia) participated in this study. [Methods] Plantar foot pressure was recoded by a RS-scan system (RS scan Ltd., German). One-way ANOVA was used to compare foot data of the various heights. [Results] The peak plantar pressure values of the paretic lower limb during the stance phase showed significant differences among the T1, M1, M2, M3 and M4 regions. However, the peak plantar pressure values of the non-paretic lower limb showed significant differences only in the T1, MF, HM and HL regions. [Conclusion] This study found that when stroke patients attempted to cross an obstacle, crossing the obstacle with the non-paretic lower limb while supporting the body with the paretic lower limb was a more stable and efficient obstacle crossing strategy.