Objective To explore the
efficacy of a new elastic
suspension strap
orthosis, designed by the authors, in improving the motor function and
walking ability of
stroke patients.
Methods Thirty-nine
stroke pa-tients less than 1 month after
stroke were recruited and divided randomly into a
treatment group and a
control group. The
patients in the
treatment group accepted
walking training with the assistance of an elastic
suspension strap
orthosis, 5 times a week for 8 weeks, while the
control group accepted the same
training without the assistance of the elastic
suspension strap
orthosis. Results The
treatment group improved significantly more than the
control group with regard to its average Fugl-Meyer score, the functional
ambulation categories of its members, and their
walking speeds. Conclusions The elastic
suspension strap
orthosis could help correct abnormal
gait patterns, improve
walking speed, and enhance the recovery of
walking ability in
stroke patients.