Muscle strength and balance in post-stroke patients

Isokinetic torque of the knee and elbow during maximal extension and flexion and isometric strength of the handgrip, as well as balance and some circulatory variables, were tested in 37 patients one year after an acute stroke. Correlations with locomotion, household work and other activities of daily living (ADL) were tested. Male patients who had received special activation on the ward for up to 4 weeks after the stroke showed a significantly smaller difference in strength between the paretic and non-paretic knee at an angular velocity of 90 degrees per second than males who had received only routine activation on their ward. There was a high correlation between locomotion and the isokinetic torque of the paretic knee and also between locomotion and balance. The correlations between elbow strength and ADL functions were weaker. It was concluded that the evaluation of the isokinetic muscle torque of the knee and the balance tests are valid instruments for estimating functional capacity after a stroke.