Article

Postural configurations for stroke patients in performing Stand-to-Sit (StandTS)
were thought identical to those in performing Sit-to-Stand. The specificity of
StandTS in terms of leg load sharing and sitting impact forces is however largely
unexplored. The objective of this research was to study how the two legs share
loads and sitting impact forces in stroke patients during StandTS movements with
different postural configurations. It was hypothesized that adopting different
arm placements combined with leg placements would alter the leg load sharing and
subsequently influence the sitting impact on stroke patients. This hypothesis was
tested on 18 elder hemiplegic stroke patients with four postural configurations
of arm and leg placements. Results showed that altering arm placements does not
significantly influence the leg load sharing strategy and sitting impact forces.
The leg load sharing strategies are ruled by the preferred use of the non-paretic
side and the favored leg position for the biomechanical load. Placing the
non-paretic leg posterior reduces the impact because of the advantage of the
preferred use together with the favored leg position. Because the paretic leg is
incapable of modulating the sitting-down process, placing the paretic leg
posterior induces notably greater sitting impact forces compared with the counter
leg placement. From the strength-training point of view, however, placing the
paretic leg posterior would facilitate exertions of the paretic leg.
CI - Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS