Recovery of walking function in stroke patients after minimal rehabilitation

Independent walking function is a highly desired goal amonst stroke victims, and has been well reported in Western literature. However, few studies have investigated the recovery of gait following stroke in Third World countries, where rehabilitation is often minimal or non-existent.

A descriptive survey, using a structured questionnaire, was conducted on stroke victims, 12-14 weeks post-discharge from the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, Soweto, South Africa. Although the questionnaire included a number of aspects of impairment, disability and handicap, this paper only reports on the recovery of walking function.

A total of 361 patients were screened initially. Only 54 fulfilled all inclusion criteria, 38 (70%) were over 50 years of age and 16 (30%) were aged under 50 years. The average length of stay in hospital of the older group was eight days, and in the younger group, 11.5 days. All 54 subjects interviewed were able to walk prior to their stroke. Twelve to fourteen weeks postdischarge, 23 (66%) subjects in the older group and all (100%) of the younger group said they could walk. Half of the older group and nearly all of the younger group could walk outside their homes, unassisted and without appliances. One-third of the subjects experienced knee pain during walking, but only a small percentage said that this pain prevented them from walking. The ability to catch a taxi in Soweto was used as a measurement of the handicap of gait. Twenty (54%) older group subjects and five (31%) of the younger group never caught a taxi.

Although the recovery of gait in these subjects appears to have been good, the results cannot be extrapolated to the stroke population in general due to the stringent selection criteria of the study. Further studies are required to acquire a broader cross-section of the stroke population, including longer follow-up periods to gain insight into the continuation of walking function. This information is necessary in order to plan effective and appropriate rehabilitation services.