[Biomechanical aspects of poststroke patients rehabilitation]

Using clinical biomechanical methods, gait peculiarities were studied in 66 patients in an acute period of stroke. Despite some similar nonspecific compensative mechanisms, such as deceleration of movement velocity and functional relief of paretic extremity, the resulting picture of gait disturbances in this group may be different. The observed gait alterations depend not only on paresis severity but also on the features of vertical balance maintenance, efficacy of footsteps-support interaction and the presence of pathological changes in joints as well as on the activity profile of low extremity paretic and intact muscles, protractor muscles especially, in the step cycle. These peculiarities should be taken into account during medical rehabilitation.