Quantitative analysis of gait pattern in hemiparetic patients

Abstract

Objective: To characterise gait pattern in hemiparetic patients quantitatively using clinical footprint method. Design: A case control study. Subjects: Sixteen hemiparetic patients (12 males and 4 females) aged 16 to 64 years who attended neurological clinic at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi. Main outcome measures: Stride length, step width, foot rotation angle measured using footprint method. Results: The difference in mean values of the three variables of gait between affected and unaffected sides in hemiparetic patients was not significant. However, strides were significantly longer in controls than in patients (P<0.001) while patients had significantly broader steps (P<0.02). In the controls, foot was rotated externally in 87.7% of steps and internally in 14.3% of steps. In the hemiparetic patients, intoeing pattern was observed in 41.3% of steps. The difference in variability of stride length and foot angle between affected and non-affected sides of patients was not significant. Stride-to-stride variability in stride length in patients was 1.6 times higher than in controls. Variability of step width and foot progression angle was 1.4 and 1.6 times higher in patients than in controls. Conclusion: Footprint method provides fast and inexpensive tool for clinical gait analysis and is suitable for evaluation of hemiparetic patients. Our findings suggest that areas of emphasis for physical therapy of hemiparetic patients should include increasing stride length and decreasing step width and internal rotation of foot, particularly on the affected side.