The Effects of Dynamic Ankle-foot Orthoses in Chronic Stroke Patients at Three-month Follow-up: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: To investigate the short- and long-term effects of dynamic ankle foot orthoses on functional ambulation activities in chronic hemiparetic patients.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: University's neurological rehabilitation outpatient clinic and orthotics department.

Subjects: Twenty-eight chronic hemiparetic patients of level 3-5 according to Functional Ambulation Classification and with a maximum spasticity level of 3 according to Modified Ashworth Scale, were randomly assigned to the study and control groups.

Interventions: The control group (n = 14) was assessed with tennis shoes whereas the study group (n = 14) was assessed initially with tennis shoes and after three months with dynamic ankle foot orthosis.

Measures: Functional Reach, Timed Up and Go, Timed Up Stairs, Timed Down Stairs, gait velocity and Physiological Cost Index.

Results: In the initial assessment no difference was found between the groups for any of the measured parameters (P > 0.05). After three months, intergroup comparisons while the patients in the study group were wearing dynamic ankle-foot orthosis showed a significant difference in favour of the study group for Timed Up Stairs 12.00 (10.21) seconds study versus 15.00 (7.29) seconds control group; for gait velocity 0.99 (0.45) m/s study versus 0.72 (0.20) m/s control group and for Physiological Cost Index 0.12 (0.06) beats/min study versus 0.28 (0.13) beats/min control group (P < 0.05). No difference was found between the groups for Functional Reach, Timed Up and Go, Timed Down Stairs (P > 0.05).

Conclusion: Chronic hemiparetic patients may benefit from using dynamic ankle-foot orthosis.