Upper extremity strength deficits in hemiplegic stroke patients: relationship between admission and discharge assessment and time since onset

This study describes objective upper extremity strength deficits in hemiplegic stroke patients on initial and discharge assessment, and the relationship between these deficits and the time since onset. The static strength of ten different muscle groups had been measured bilaterally in patients (n = 24 to 58, depending on the muscle group), using a hand-held dynamometer. Strength deficits were calculated in relation to the nonparetic side of the body. Zero order correlations were calculated for strength deficit and time variables. Only the relationships between the strength deficits of the initial and discharge assessments were significant (p less than 0.01). These results suggest that the strength deficits of an initial assessment are the best predictors of strength deficits at discharge. This finding has implications for clinicians in clinical decision-making and in addressing patient expectations.