Muscle contributions to pre-swing biomechanical tasks influence swing leg mechanics in individuals post-stroke during walking.
Lydia G Brough, Steven A Kautz, Richard R Neptune
PMID 35659252WHAT IT FOUND
In 15 people post-stroke, more pre-swing vasti braking predicted less peak knee flexion during swing.
Gastrocnemius contributions predicted propulsion asymmetry. Rectus femoris was not a primary knee extensor, and total musculotendon work on the paretic leg did not predict knee flexion.
Key findings
01Gastrocnemius contributions predicted propulsion asymmetry, while soleus and vasti contributions did not.
02Greater pre-swing anterior-posterior ground reaction force impulse and lower pre-swing vasti braking predicted greater peak swing knee flexion, while soleus and gastrocnemius propulsion did not.
03The rectus femoris was not a primary contributor to pre-swing knee extension, and the vasti contributed more to knee extension in the low knee flexion group.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
15 individuals post-stroke and 5 controls were studied, and the paper notes high variability between participants. These are model-based associations, not tested rehabilitation effects, and the paper states it is unknown whether the relationships are causal or correlative. Computed muscle control may not fully replicate high muscle co-contraction, although EMG bounds were used. The model did not include altered muscle or tendon properties, and the analysis did not examine leg extension angle at push-off. Some control participants had below average walking speeds and asymmetric walking, but those controls were not used for statistical analyses.
Declared interests
Funded by the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the significant vasti braking result (p = 0.02) as proof that treating vasti will improve swing knee flexion. This was a model-based association in 15 people post-stroke, not a tested intervention.