Crouch gait can be an effective form of forced-use/no constraint exercise for the paretic lower limb in stroke.
Luigi Tesio, Viviana Rota, Chiara Malloggi and 2 others
PMID 28574860WHAT IT FOUND
Walking with knees bent at 25 degrees forced the weak leg to produce much more power than during normal walking.
However, it did not significantly improve the balance of effort between the two legs at the ankle or knee, only at the hip.
Key findings
01In crouch gait, peak power generation from the paretic limb was 107–177% of healthy control values, compared with 83–90% during erect gait.
02Crouch gait significantly increased the paretic-to-unaffected ratio for hip power and work, but did not significantly change these ratios for the knee or ankle.
03Hemiparetic patients continued to load predominantly on the unaffected limb during both standing and walking, even when crouching.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The sample size was very small (seven patients), and all had mild hemiparesis and high functioning, so results do not apply to patients with severe impairment or balance deficits. The walking speed was very low (0.3 m/s), which is not representative of daily community walking speeds. The study measured acute changes in gait mechanics, not long-term rehabilitation outcomes or functional improvements. Treadmill walking may not fully represent overground walking mechanics.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the increased power in the paretic leg as evidence that crouch gait corrects gait asymmetry. The study found that symmetry improved only at the hip, not at the ankle or knee, and patients still favored the unaffected leg for weight-bearing.