Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 87, Issue 6 , Pages 779-785, June 2006

Accuracy of Clinical Observations of Push-Off During Gait After Stroke

Presented in part to the Australian Physiotherapy Association, November 2003, Sydney, Australia.

  • Jennifer L. McGinley, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Centre for Clinical Research Excellence in Clinical Gait Analysis and Gait Rehabilitation, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, Australia
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests to Jennifer L. McGinley, PhD, Gait Centre for Clinical Research Excellence, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Hugh Williamson Gait Laboratory, Royal Children’s Hospital, Flemington Rd, Parkville 3052, Australia
    • ,
  • Meg E. Morris, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Centre for Clinical Research Excellence in Clinical Gait Analysis and Gait Rehabilitation, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, Australia
    • Rehabilitation and Aged Services Program, Kingston Centre, Southern Health, Cheltenham, Australia
    • School of Physiotherapy, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
    • ,
  • Ken M. Greenwood, PhD

      Affiliations

    • School of Health Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Australia
    • ,
  • Patricia A. Goldie, PhD

      Affiliations

    • School of Physiotherapy, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia
    • ,
  • Sandra J. Olney, PhD

      Affiliations

    • School of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queens University, Kingston, ON, Canada

Abstract 

McGinley JL, Morris ME, Greenwood KM, Goldie PA, Olney SJ. Accuracy of clinical observations of push-off during gait after stroke.

Objective

To determine the accuracy (criterion-related validity) of real-time clinical observations of push-off in gait after stroke.

Design

Criterion-related validity study of gait observations.

Setting

Rehabilitation hospital in Australia.

Participants

Eleven participants with stroke and 8 treating physical therapists.

Interventions

Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measures

Pearson product-moment correlation between physical therapists’ observations of push-off during gait and criterion measures of peak ankle power generation from a 3-dimensional motion analysis system.

Results

A high correlation was obtained between the observational ratings and the measurements of peak ankle power generation (Pearson r=.98). The standard error of estimation of ankle power generation was .32W/kg.

Conclusions

Physical therapists can make accurate real-time clinical observations of push-off during gait following stroke.

Key Words:  Cerebrovascular accident , Gait , Physical therapy techniques , Rehabilitation

 

 No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the authors or upon any organization with which the authors are associated.

PII: S0003-9993(06)00170-5

doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2006.02.022

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 87, Issue 6 , Pages 779-785, June 2006

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