Effects of toe spreader on plantar pressure and gait in chronic stroke patients

The feet make the initial contact with the ground when walking and critically control both posture and gait. Claw toe, a structural change in the foot that may develop after stroke, triggers functional changes affecting both the lower limbs and balance.

We analyzed the effects of a toe spreader on foot pressure and gait in chronic stroke patients.

We enrolled 25 stroke patients. We used Gaitview AFA-50 and GAITRite instruments to measure plantar pressure distribution and gait with and without a toe spreader.

The average and rear foot pressures increased somewhat when a toe spreader was used. However, the differences were not significant in post hoc tests. In terms of gait, all variables significantly improved when the toe spreader was used.

A toe spreader may improve overall gait and spatiotemporal gait parameters in chronic stroke patients.