Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed to observe the therapeutic effect of elastic bandages on improving knee hyperextension in patients with stroke after correcting the foot varus.

Methods: A total of 45 patients with stroke admitted to the hospital from January to August 2019 were enrolled in the present prospective study. Elastic bandages were used to fix the affected foot in a mild valgus position. Before and after the intervention, the Noitom walking function evaluation system was adopted, and the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test and the 10-meter walking test were conducted. The gait speed, stride length, knee angle, and the number of knee hyperextensions >5° were selected as the results. The weight-bearing time of the affected leg was evaluated, and the changes in the control ability of the affected limb before and after the intervention were compared.

Results: It was found that compared with before treatment, the time of knee hyperextension was significantly reduced after fixation with the elastic bandage, and the knee extension angle was significantly reduced (p < 0.05). After the treatment, the gait speed was significantly higher than before the treatment (p < 0.05), but there was no statistically significant difference in the stride length (p > 0.05). After the treatment, the time in the TUG test was significantly shorter than before the treatment (p < 0.05), together with an obvious increase in the weight-bearing time of the affected leg (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Correcting foot varus could improve the biomechanics of the lower limbs and improve the symptoms of knee hyperextension in patients with stroke, thereby improving the control ability of the affected limb and improving the walking function.

Keywords: Stroke, foot varus, knee hyperextension, motor function assessment, elastic bandage, hyperextension.