Dynamic Plantar Pressure Distribution Measurements In Post-stroke Hemiplegic Patients With Foot Varus

Objective To investigate the gait characters of post-stroke hemiplegic patients with foot varus and to evaluate the effects of comprehensive rehabilitation of the stroke patients on plantar pressure distribution.Methods The study was carried out among thirty-two post-stroke hemiplegic patients with foot varus as the observation group and thirty-two healthy adults as the control group.Footscan plantar system was used in foot balance,foot axis and impulse in rear foot analysis between the two groups. The t test of SPSS program was applied to investigate the difference of the gait charactersResults There were no significant differences in foot balance,foot axis and impulse in rear foot between the left and right lower limbs of the healthy adults.The absolute values of foot balance in the affected lower limbs of hemiplegic patients were higher than the unaffected limbs in the phase of midstance and propulsion(p<0.01).And both of the absolute values of foot balance in the bilateral lower limbs of hemiplegic patients were higher than the healthy adults(p<0.01). With the intervention of the comprehensive rehabilitation,the absolute values of foot balance in the affected lower limbs of hemiplegic patients were obvious lower than before in the phase of midstance and propulsion(p<0.01) and the absolute values of foot balance in the unaffected lower limbs were lower than before in the phase of midstance(p<0.01).The figures of foot axis in the affected lower limbs were higher than the unaffected limbs of patients and the healthy adults(p<0.01). After the intervention of the comprehensive rehabilitation,the figures of foot axis in the affected lower limbs were obvious lower than before(p<0.01),and the figures of foot axis in the unaffected lower limbs were also lower than before(p<0.05).The impulses in rear foot of affected lower limbs were higher than the unaffected limbs of patients(p<0.01),and both of the impulses in the bilateral lower limbs were higher than the healthy adults(p<0.01).After the intervention of the comprehensive rehabilitation,the impulses in rear foot of the affected lower limbs were obvious lower than before(p<0.01).Conclusion significant differences were found between the patients and the healthy adults on plantar pressure distribution.Therapy of the comprehensive’ rehabilitation could significantly improve the state of foot varus and the distribution of plantar pressure in post-stroke hemiplegic patients. Footscan plantar system can be a valuable tool for testing the gait of post-stroke hemiplegic patients with foot varus and serve as a reference for planning rehabilitation interventions and evaluation of therapeutic effect for such patients.