Gait & Posture
Volume 31, Issue 2 , Pages 241-246 , February 2010

Evaluation of gait symmetry after stroke: A comparison of current methods and recommendations for standardization

  • Kara K. Patterson

      Affiliations

    • Graduate Department of Rehabilitation Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    • Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    • Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital, Feil & Oberfeld Research Centre, 3205 Alton Goldblom Place, Laval, QC, Canada H7V 1R2. Tel.: +1 450 688 9550x4817; fax: +1 450 688 3673.
    • ,
  • William H. Gage

      Affiliations

    • Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    • School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    • Heart and Stroke Foundation Centre for Stroke Recovery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    • School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, Bethune College, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON, Canada M3J 1P3. Tel: +1 416 736 5728x33027.
    • ,
  • Dina Brooks

      Affiliations

    • Graduate Department of Rehabilitation Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    • Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    • Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    • Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto, 500 University Ave, Toronto, ON, Canada M5G 1V7. Tel.: +1 416 978 1739.
    • ,
  • Sandra E. Black

      Affiliations

    • Graduate Department of Rehabilitation Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    • Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    • Heart and Stroke Foundation Centre for Stroke Recovery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    • Division of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    • Heart and Stroke Foundation Centre for Stroke Recovery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto, ON, Canada M4N 3M5. Tel.: +1 416 480 4551.
    • ,
  • William E. McIlroy

      Affiliations

    • Graduate Department of Rehabilitation Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    • Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    • Heart and Stroke Foundation Centre for Stroke Recovery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    • Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author at: Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, Canada N2L 3G1. Tel.: +1 519 888 4567x38109.

Received 4 May 2009 ,Revised 12 October 2009 ,Accepted 25 October 2009.

References 

  1. Patterson KK, Parafianowicz I, Danells CJ, Closson V, Verrier MC, Staines WR, et al. Gait asymmetry in community-ambulating stroke survivors. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2008;89:304–310
  2. Jorgensen L, Crabtree NJ, Reeve J, Jacobsen BK. Ambulatory level and asymmetrical weight bearing after stroke affects bone loss in the upper and lower part of the femoral neck differently: bone adaptation after decreased mechanical loading. Bone. 2000;27:701–707
  3. Hodt-Billington C, Helbostad JL, Moe-Nilssen R. Should trunk movement or footfall parameters quantify gait asymmetry in chronic stroke patients?. Gait Posture. 2009;27:552–558
  4. Kim CM, Eng JJ. Symmetry in vertical ground reaction force is accompanied by symmetry in temporal but not distance variables of gait in persons with stroke. Gait Posture. 2003;18:23–28
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  9. Draper ERC. A treadmill-based system for measuring symmetry of gait. Med Eng Phys. 2000;22:215–222
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  14. Werner C, Lindquist AR, Bardeleben A, Hesse S. The influence of treadmill inclination on the gait of ambulatory hemiparetic subjects. Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2007;21:76–80
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  18. Plotnik M, Giladi N, Hausdorff JM. A new measure for quantifying the bilateral coordination of human gait: effects of aging and Parkinson's disease. Exp Brain Res. 2008;181:561–570
  19. Zifchock RA, Davis I, Higginson J, Royer T. The symmetry angle: a novel, robust method of quantifying asymmetry. Gait Posture. 2008;27:622–627
  20. Brock KA, Goldie PA, Greenwood KM. Evaluating the effectiveness of stroke rehabilitation: choosing a discriminative measure. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2002;83:92–99
  21. Bowen A, Wenman R, Mickelborough , Foster J, Hill E, Tallis R. Dual-task effects of talking while walking on velocity and balance following a stroke. Age and Ageing. 2001;30:319–323
  22. Balasubramanian CK, Bowden MG, Neptune RR, Kautz SA. Relationship between step length asymmetry and walking performance in subjects with chronic hemiparesis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2007;88:43–49

PII: S0966-6362(09)00649-3

doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2009.10.014

Gait & Posture
Volume 31, Issue 2 , Pages 241-246 , February 2010

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