Nonparetic tibialis anterior muscle activity during gait: Association with step length asymmetry in chronic stroke patients

IF 1.4 3区医学 Q4 ENGINEERING, BIOMEDICAL

Clinical Biomechanics Pub Date : 2025-06-01 DOI:10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2025.106573

Yuichi Tsushima , Kazuki Fujita , Koji Hayashi , Yasutaka Kobayashi

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Gait disturbances following stroke often involve abnormal muscle activity of the nonparetic lower limb as a compensatory movement. Among the multiple muscles, the tibialis anterior muscle is particularly involved in balance, and tibialis anterior muscle activity may influence gait parameters such as gait speed and asymmetry. However, the role of nonparetic tibialis anterior muscle activity in hemiplegic gait is not yet fully understood.

Methods

This study included 19 chronic stroke patients and 19 healthy controls. Surface electromyography was employed to measure nonparetic tibialis anterior muscle activity during gait. The gait speed, swing time asymmetry index, and step length asymmetry index were analyzed. Furthermore, statistical analyses were conducted to compare muscle activity between the groups and assess correlation analysis with gait parameters.

Findings

Stroke patients exhibited significantly higher nonparetic tibialis anterior muscle activity during the early single support phases than the healthy controls (P < 0.001, d = 1.30). Nonparetic tibialis anterior muscle activity during the early single support phase was negatively correlated with the step length asymmetry index (P = 0.02, r = −0.52).

Interpretation

The increase in nonparetic tibialis anterior muscle activity in the early single support phase is characteristic of stroke patients and may be a compensatory movement for step length asymmetry. Excessive nonparetic tibialis anterior activity may prevent recovery of paretic side swing function. While rehabilitation typically focuses on the paretic side, this study suggests that nonparetic tibialis anterior activity plays a pivotal role in achieving functional gait.

查看原文本刊更多论文

步态中的非麻痹性胫骨前肌活动：与慢性卒中患者步长不对称的关系。

背景：卒中后的步态障碍通常涉及非瘫下肢异常肌肉活动作为代偿运动。在多个肌肉中，胫骨前肌尤其参与平衡，胫骨前肌的活动可能影响步态参数，如步态速度和不对称性。然而，非麻痹性胫前肌活动在偏瘫步态中的作用尚未完全了解。方法：选取19例慢性脑卒中患者和19例健康对照。采用表面肌电图测量步态时胫骨前肌的非麻痹性活动。分析步态速度、摆动时间不对称指数和步长不对称指数。此外，进行统计分析，比较各组之间的肌肉活动，并评估与步态参数的相关性分析。研究结果：卒中患者在早期单次支撑阶段表现出明显高于健康对照组的非麻痹性胫前肌活动(P解释：在早期单次支撑阶段非麻痹性胫前肌活动的增加是卒中患者的特征，可能是步长不对称的代偿运动。过度的非麻痹性胫前肌活动可能会阻碍麻痹侧摆动功能的恢复。虽然康复通常侧重于麻痹侧，但本研究表明，非麻痹性胫骨前肌活动在实现功能性步态中起关键作用。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Clinical Biomechanics 医学-工程：生物医学

CiteScore

3.30

自引率

5.60%

发文量

189

审稿时长

12.3 weeks

期刊介绍： Clinical Biomechanics is an international multidisciplinary journal of biomechanics with a focus on medical and clinical applications of new knowledge in the field. The science of biomechanics helps explain the causes of cell, tissue, organ and body system disorders, and supports clinicians in the diagnosis, prognosis and evaluation of treatment methods and technologies. Clinical Biomechanics aims to strengthen the links between laboratory and clinic by publishing cutting-edge biomechanics research which helps to explain the causes of injury and disease, and which provides evidence contributing to improved clinical management. A rigorous peer review system is employed and every attempt is made to process and publish top-quality papers promptly. Clinical Biomechanics explores all facets of body system, organ, tissue and cell biomechanics, with an emphasis on medical and clinical applications of the basic science aspects. The role of basic science is therefore recognized in a medical or clinical context. The readership of the journal closely reflects its multi-disciplinary contents, being a balance of scientists, engineers and clinicians. The contents are in the form of research papers, brief reports, review papers and correspondence, whilst special interest issues and supplements are published from time to time. Disciplines covered include biomechanics and mechanobiology at all scales, bioengineering and use of tissue engineering and biomaterials for clinical applications, biophysics, as well as biomechanical aspects of medical robotics, ergonomics, physical and occupational therapeutics and rehabilitation.