The Association between Spatiotemporal Gait Asymmetry and Walking Balance in People Post Stroke

Background: falls are a common complication post-stroke and often inducedue to poor balance. given that falls often occur during walking, it is possiblethat gait patterns influence balance during walking. walking post-stroke isfrequently spatiotemporally asymmetric, which may reduce walking balance.the aim of this study was to determine the relationship between gait asymmetryand walking balance in persons with chronic stroke.methods: fifty-four persons with chronic stroke (34 men and 20 women) withthe mean age of 57.28 participated in this cross-sectional study. participantswalked at their self-selected speed to calculate gait asymmetry ratios for stancetime, swing time, and step length. the data were collected using a conventionalcamera with a sampling frequency of 60 hz. reflective markers were attachedto the heel and toe regions. participants also performed walking balance testsincluding functional gait assessment (fga) and mini balance evaluationsystem test (mini-bestest). pearson correlation test was used to determine therelationships between gait asymmetry and walking balance.results: the mean±standard deviation values of stance, swing and stepasymmetry ratios and fga and mini-bestest were 1.2±0.11, 1.43±0.24,1.25±0.15, 24.11±2.93 and 22.87±2.29, respectively. increased fga and mini-bestest scores were related to decreased swing (r=-0.64, p≤0.001 and, r=-0.71,p≤0.0001, respectively) and step asymmetry (r=-0.41, p≤0.002 and, r=-0.51,p≤0.001, respectively). no significant relationship was identified between fga,and mini-bestest and stance asymmetry (r=-0.25, p≤0.06 and r=-0.23, p≤0.08respectively).conclusion: according to the current results spatiotemporal gait asymmetrymay be related to decreased balance during walking in individuals with chronicstroke suggesting that rehabilitation interventions should focus specifically onameliorating spatiotemporal gait asymmetry