Relationship among paretic knee extension strength, maximum weight-bearing, and gait speed in patients with stroke

The purpose of this study was to determine the intercorrelations among maximum weight-bearing through the paretic lower extremity, paretic knee extension strength, and comfortable gait speed in hemiparetic patients following stroke. Twenty patients, who could ambulate at least 10.0 m with no more assistance than contact guarding of one person, participated. Isometric muscle strength (force) was measured with a hand-held dynamometer. Maximum weight-bearing measurements were normalized against (divided by) body weight. Gait speed was determined using a digital stopwatch as subjects walked 8.0 m. Significant correlations (r>0.611) were demonstrated among the three variables. The relationship between maximum weight-bearing and gait speed was the strongest and was best described by a curvilinear model (R = 0.830). The results suggest that both maximum weight-bearing through the paretic lower extremity and paretic knee extension strength are valid predictors of gait speed among patients with stroke but that the former is superior to the latter for such a purpose. Given their simplicity and objectivity, these measures can be recommended for predicting and documenting improvement in patients with stroke undergoing rehabilitation.