Effect of Rocker Bar Ankle Foot Orthosis on Functional Mobility in Post-Stroke Hemiplegic Patients: Timed Up and Go and Gait Speed Assessments

Objectives: Ankle Foot Orthoses (AFOs) are widely utilized to improve walking ability in&nbsp;hemiplegic patients. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of Rocker bar Ankle Foot&nbsp;Orthosis (RAFO) on functional mobility in post-stroke hemiplegic patients. Methods: Fifteen hemiplegic patients (men and women) who were at least 6-months poststroke&nbsp;and able to walk without an assistive device for at least 10 meters voluntarily participated&nbsp;in this study. The patients were examined for three conditions: shoes only, with SAFO and with&nbsp;RAFO. Their functional mobility was evaluated through 10-meter walk test and Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. In addition, paired t-test was used to analyze the obtained data. Results: When the patients used RAFO, their gait speed significantly increased (P<0.05).&nbsp;Moreover, the time of performing TUG test experienced a significant decrease using RAFO&nbsp;compared with utilizing shoe only (P<0.05). Discussion: RAFO led to a significant improvement in functional mobility in hemiplegic&nbsp;patients post stroke. This may be due to the positive effect of rocker modification on improving&nbsp;push off and transferring weight during the stance phase of gait.