What happened?
A woman in her fifties experienced right-sided paralysis after a left-sided atherothrombotic cerebral infarction involving the corona radiata. After acute hospital care and admission to rehabilitation, she was able to walk with a cane by day 17 after onset. The report examined gait training while the non-paretic knee was immobilized, using an AB phase design.
Clinical findings
- The patient had right upper- and lower-limb motor paralysis after a left corona radiata infarction.
- By day 17 after onset, she had achieved independent walking with a cane.
- The report tracked functional ambulation, balance, motor function, gait speed, muscle activity and trunk acceleration across intervention phases.
Rehabilitation described in the report
- During phase A, conventional physiotherapy included ergometer cycling, gait training, muscle training and electrical stimulation of the paretic lower limb.
- During phase B, gait training was performed with the non-paretic knee immobilized at 0 degrees of extension using a knee brace.
- The authors used repeated measurements across the two phases; this experimental training setup should not be copied without specialist supervision and safety review.
Reported outcomes
- The authors reported increased activity in the paretic lateral gastrocnemius during the constrained gait-training phase.
- Balance measures improved during the intervention period, while gait speed did not show a clear improvement.
- The report found no obvious deterioration in trunk stability, but emphasized the need for further study.
Clinical lessons to consider
- The report illustrates how a targeted gait-training constraint can be examined using biomechanical and functional measures.
- Improvement in muscle activity does not necessarily mean gait speed or all functional outcomes improve.
Limitations — what this case cannot tell us
- A single case with an AB design cannot establish the general safety or effectiveness of non-paretic knee immobilization for stroke rehabilitation.
- The intervention is specialized and requires assessment of balance, fall risk, knee mechanics and individual suitability.
Original source
Ryosuke Todaka, Tetsu Kajiyama, Naoya Kariu, Masaya Anan. “Effect of Gait Training With Non-paretic Knee Immobilization on Lower Limb and Trunk Acceleration in a Post-stroke Hemiparetic Patient: A Case Report.” Cureus, 2024. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.64193
View the original publicationThis page is an independently written educational summary, not a reproduction of the full paper. Check the original article for complete methods, outcome tables, references and licensing.