Imbalanced Gait Characteristics Based on Plantar Pressure Assessment in Patients with Hemiplegia

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the plantar pressure and the gait characteristics in patients with hemiplegia compared with normal subjects. Plantar pressure was measured and evaluated by the Pedar-x system®. Twenty healthy Thai volunteers and 10 Thai patients with hemiplegia were recruited for this study. Patients with hemiplegia had significant differences in gait pattern and plantar pressure distribution compared with normal subjects. The percentages of the plantar pressure difference were 5 ± 3 and 30 ± 12 % in the normal group and the hemiplegic group, respectively. The time interval during single limb support on the affected side was 11 % shorter than the unaffected side while there was no difference of the time interval during single limb support in normal subjects. The pattern and area under the curve of normalized force-time relationship in patients with hemiplegia were particularly distinguishable from normal subjects. The progression lines of both feet were asymmetric in patients with hemiplegia but they were particularly symmetric in normal subjects. The gait characteristics derived from plantar pressure in patients with hemiplegia are apparently imbalanced and clearly different from that in normal subjects in both qualitative and quantitative aspects. doi:10.14456/WJST.2015.69

Keywords

• Plantar pressure
• hemiplegia
• gait cycle
• gait line
• ground reaction force