Relationship between lower limb motor impairment and biomechanical strategies used during mobility activities in post-stroke individuals

Abstract

ABSTRACT Motor impairment and mobility limitations are frequently observed in post-stroke individuals and are associated with functional dependence and low perceived quality of life. Therefore, evaluating the association between motor impairment and the biomechanical strategies used by post-stroke individuals in performing mobility activities is necessary. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between lower limb motor impairment assessed by the motor section of the Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) scale and the mobility of post-stroke individuals considering the biomechanical strategies assessed by the timed “up and go” assessment of biomechanical strategies (TUG-ABS). This exploratory cross-sectional study included 100 individuals in the chronic phase after stroke with a mean age of 55.02±12.57 years. The FMA was used to assess lower limb motor impairment and the TUG-ABS to assess mobility during the following activities performed sequentially: changing from sitting to standing position, walking, turning 180°, and changing from standing to sitting position. Spearman’s correlation was used to evaluate the relationship between variables (α=5%). Lower limb motor impairment and mobility considering the biomechanical strategies adopted by post-stroke individuals in the aforementioned activities (changing from sitting to standing position, walking, turning 180°, and changing from standing to sitting position) showed a significant (p<0.001), positive correlation of moderate magnitude (rs=0.60). This indicates that motor impairment is an important outcome to be considered during the rehabilitation of post-stroke individuals with mobility limitations, as assessed by the TUG-ABS.

Keywords

• Stroke
• Mobility Limitation
• Lower Extremity