Effects of a 6-week Lokomat® intervention on paretic and non-paretic lower-limb force in subacute stroke patients

Abstract

Purpose: The main purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of Lokomat® intervention on paretic and non-paretic
lower-limb force (L-FORCE) in subacute stroke patients.
Methods: For this observational, case-control study, we recruited 13 subacute stroke patients (age = 53.38 ± 8.78 years,
38.50% women) who experienced a stroke <2 months prior an intervention. Pre-post changes for Lokomat® system in hip
and knee flexion and extension movements were observed.
Results: At baseline, no significant differences between left and right leg in hip flexion (Z – value = 0.002, P= .998), hip
extension (Z – value = 0.526, P= .609), knee flexion (Z – value = -1.056, P= .314) and knee extension (Z – value = 0.043,
P= .967) were found. Over a period of 6 weeks, the Lokomat® guided intervention non-significantly increased hip flexion
torques in paretic leg (ES = .18, P= .716) and non-paretic leg (ES = .38, P= .056). For knee flexion, non-significant increases for
paretic leg (ES = .24, P= .225) and non-paretic leg (ES = .22, P= .291) were observed. Results for hip extension indicated nonsignificant
increases for paretic leg (ES = .23, P= .269) and non-paretic leg (ES = .35, P= .095). Similar to other movements,
non-significant increases were shown for paretic leg (ES = .15, P= .744) and non-paretic leg (ES = .26, P= .229) in knee
extension. Non-significant differences in pre-post changes between paretic and non-paretic leg were observed for hip flexion
(P= 0.442), hip extension (P= .055), knee flexion (P= .477) and knee extension (P= .554).
Conclusions: A 6-week Lokomat® intervention produced small positive changes in flexion and extension hip and knee
movements for paretic and non-paretic leg in subacute stroke patients. Thus, the Lokomat® is able to detect and measure
changes within a certain joint and between paretic and non-paretic limb.