Effects of muscle isokinetic training with visual biofeedback on functional rehabilitation of lower extremity of stroke hemiplegic patients

Objective: To observe effects of muscle isokinetic training with visual biofeedback on functional rehabilitation of lower extremity of stroke hemiplegic patients during convalescent stage and to explore the relationship between the functional evaluation of the lower extremity and the gait analysis parameters. Method: One hundred and eighty-eight patients were randomly divided into an observation(n=95)group and a control(n=93) group. The patients in observation group were given muscle isokinetic training with visual biofeedback for the knee extensors and flexors in addition to the routine rehabilitation program in control group. Fugl-Meyer motor function scores and Barthel index were used to measure the lower extremity function and the footprint method was used for gait analysis. Result: The improvement of gait and motor functions in observation group was much greater than that in control group (P0.01).The symmetry of gait was correlated significantly with lower extremity motor and balance functions (r=-0.77,-0.73,P0.01),but irrelevant to movement functional independence (r=-0.23,P0.05).The walking speed was correlated significantly with all the evaluated parameters (r=0.82,0.77,0.75, P0.01).Conclusion:The lower extremity function, gait and ability of activity of daily living can be improved by muscle isokinetic training with visual biofeedback of knee extensors and flexors of both lower extremities during the convalescence of stroke patients.