Objective To explore the correlation between plantar pressure and walking function in hemiplegic stroke patients.Methods Thirty hemiplegic patients with stroke (a hemiplegic group) and thirty age-matched healthy persons (a control group) were recruited.Gait and balance function training and assessment system (model:AL-600) were used to quantify the walking velocity,peak plantar pressure at heel-strike and push-off periods and displacement of center of pressure (DCOP) of all subjects during walking.The asymmetry of gait was calculated.Two independent sample t-test were used to compare the walking velocity,peak plantar pressure and DCOP for the two groups.Pearson correlation coefficients were applied to analyze the correlation between the walking velocity and peak plantar pressure and DCOP.Results The walking velocity,the peak plantar pressure at heel-strike and push-off periods and DCOP of the hemiplegic group were significantly lower than the control group.In the hemiplegic group,the asymmetry of peak plantar pressure and DCOPx significantly increased,while that of DCOPy became bigger without significant difference.Moreover,the walking capacity of the hemiplegic group was positively correlated with the peak plantar pressure and DCOP.Conclusion Among hemiplegic stroke patients,both the peak plantar pressure at heel-strike and push-off periods lower in a way.Their capacity of weight transfer decreases,which is closely related to their walking velocity.

Objective To explore any correlation between gait asymmetry and the balance of hemiplegic stroke survivors.Methods Thirty patients with hemiplegia caused by stroke but who could walk more than 10 metres independently were recruited as the experimental group; 30 age-matched healthy elderly people served as the control group.An AL-600 gait analyzer was used to quantify the spatial and temporal gait parameters of all subjects.Gait asymmetry ratios were calculated.The 30 stroke patients were also assessed with the Berg balance scale (BBS).Two independent sample t-tests were used to compare the step length asymmetry (SLA),swing time asymmetry (SWTA) and STA (stance time asymmetry) ratios for the two groups and their average step widths.Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated relating the SLA,SWTA,STA,step width and BBS results.Results Among the experimental group,swing time and step length on the affected side were significantly different from the unaffected side,and stance time on the affected side was significantly shorter.The control group showed no such significant differences.All of the experimental group's average asymmetry ratios were significantly greater than those of the control group,as was their step width.Step width and BBS score were negative correlated,but step width was positively correlated with the step length and swing time asymmetry ratios.BBS scores were negatively correlated with the step length and swing time asymmetry ratios.Stance time asymmetry and step width showed no significant correlation with the BBS scores.Conclusion The gait of hemiplegic stroke patients is both spatially and temporally asymmetric,and a certain correlation exists between the degree of asymmetry and balance function.