Walking velocity and modified rivermead mobility index as discriminatory measures for functional ambulation classification of chronic stroke patients.
Ji Young Lim, Seung Heon An, Dae-Sung Park
PMID 31889763WHAT IT FOUND
Maximum walking speed above 0.92 m/s and modified Rivermead Mobility Index scores above 26.5 accurately identified chronic stroke patients capable of outdoor ambulation.
These simple measures help therapists distinguish high-level walkers from those needing assistance without relying solely on observation.
Key findings
01Maximum walking velocity was the most effective discriminator between high and low ambulation levels.
02Specific cut-off values for maximum walking velocity and mRMI scores accurately distinguished patients able to walk outdoors from those who were not.
03Walking velocity and mRMI scores differed significantly between patients able to walk outdoors and those limited to indoor ambulation.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study only included chronic stroke patients, so these cut-off values may not apply to patients in the acute phase of recovery. The measures could not distinguish between patients who needed constant assistance and those who could walk with supervision. The sample size for the lowest ambulation categories was small, which may have affected the ability to detect differences in those groups.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest and stated that no funding or external support was provided for this study.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these cut-off values apply to acute stroke patients. The study only validated these measures for chronic stroke patients, and the authors explicitly state the application is limited for acute populations.