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Anterior ankle-foot orthosis effects on postural stability in hemiplegic patients
C L Chen1, K T Yeung, C H Wang
1School of Rehabilitation, Chung Shan Medical and Dental College, Taichung, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Objectives:
To evaluate the effects of an anterior ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) on static and dynamic postural stability in hemiplegic patients.
Design:
A cross-sectional assessment of hemiplegic subjects with and without an AFO.
Setting:
Outpatient department of a rehabilitation hospital.
Patients:
A convenience sample of 24 subjects who had been prescribed an anterior AFO.
Outcome Measures:
Postural sway index and postural symmetry (body weight distribution through the affected leg) when standing were measured as static postural stability. Maximal balance range in anterior-posterior and lateral directions and the affected leg's weight bearing after weight shift to affected side were measured as dynamic postural stability.
Results:
When wearing the anterior AFO, there was no significant difference and small effect size (r<0.3) in postural sway index (p = .35), postural symmetry (p = .21), and maximal balance range in anterior-posterior direction (p = .46). There was a significant improvement and large effect size (r>0.5) in lateral weight shifting (p<.01) and weight bearing through the affected leg after weight shifted to the affected side (p<.01).
Conclusions:
The significant effects of the anterior AFO in long-term hemiplegic patients were on lateral weight shifting and weight bearing through affected leg after weight shifted to the affected side. Postural sway, postural symmetry, and anterior-posterior weight shifting were not significantly affected.