Reproducibility of gait kinematics and kinetics in chronic stroke patients

BACKGROUND: The search for reliable techniques to assess gait in stroke patients is crucial for the design and follow-up of rehabilitation programs. OBJECTIVE: To assess the reproducibility of kinematic and kinetic gait parameters in chronic stroke patients using a three-dimensional gait analysis system. METHODS: Ten chronic stroke patients were assessed while walking along a 20 m walkway at their natural speed, using a gait analysis system of six infrared cameras and two force plates. Each patient performed 10 gait trials on 2 separate days. Inter-measurement agreement was assessed with the Coefficient of Multiple Correlation, while Root Mean Square Differences were used to quantify the variability of the trials. RESULTS: The majority of kinetics and kinematics showed excellent reproducibility in all patients. Joints' power seemed to be more reliable compared with joints' angle and moment. Most parameters presented greater variability in non-paretic than the paretic leg, while they were less variable in the sagittal compared with the non-sagittal planes. Less than 10 trials were sufficient to obtain excellent reproducibility for most kinematic and kinetic parameters. CONCLUSIONS: The reproducibility of movement assessment through three-dimensional gait analysis appears excellent in chronic stroke patients.