Functional electrical stimulation can improve the gait of hemiplegic stroke survivors with an ankle-foot orthosis / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To observe the effect of functional electrical stimulation (FES) combined with an ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) and gait training on lower limb motor function, gait parameters and the joint angles of hemiplegic stroke survivors.Methods:Thirty-two stroke survivors who met the inclusion criteria were selected and randomly divided into a control group ( n=10), an orthosis group ( n=10), and a combination therapy group ( n=12). In addition to routine medication and rehabilitation, the control group received only gait training, the orthosis group received gait training and an AFO and the combination therapy group was given FES, an AFO and gait training. All three groups were treated for four weeks. Then, the Fugl-Meyer lower extremity assessment (FMA-LE), the Brunnstrom lower extremity assessment (BRL), and Functional Ambulation Categories (FACs) were used to evaluate the lower limb motor function and walking ability of the three groups. The gait parameters of the three groups were quantified using a three-dimensional gait analyzer, and the changes in the hemiplegic gait before and after treatment were compared among the three groups. Results:After the treatment the average FMA-LE, FAC and BRL scores, time-space parameters, and joint angle parameters of all three groups had all improved significantly. After the intervention the average indicators in the combined therapy group (including stride frequency, stride length and walking speed) were all significantly better than in the other two groups.Conclusions:Adding FES to gait training with an AFO can effectively improve lower limb motor function and the walking ability of hemiplegic stroke survivors.