Relationship Between Anterior–Posterior Plantar Reaction Force Distribution and Gait Speed in Post-Stroke Patients
10 affiliations
- 1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, 1–1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8574, Miyagi, Japan
- 2Department of Finemechanics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-01 Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579, Miyagi, Japan
- 3Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Science, International University of Health and Welfare, 2600-1 Kitakanemaru, Otawara 324-8501, Tochigi, Japan
- 4Research Management Center, Organization for Research Promotion, Tohoku University, 1–1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8574, Miyagi, Japan
- 5Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, 4-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Miyagi, Japan
- 6Department of Rehabilitation, Kumamoto Health Science University, 325 Izumi-machi, Kita-ku, Kumamoto 861-5533, Kumamoto, Japan
- 7Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-12 Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579, Miyagi, Japan
- 8Research Institute for Electromagnetic Materials, 9-5-1 Narita, Tomiya 981-3341, Miyagi, Japan
- 9Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Iryo Sosei University, 5-5-1 Chuodai Iino, Iwaki 970-8551, Fukushima, Japan
- 10Department of Frailty Prevention and Metabolic Regulation, Healthspan Research Center (HeSReC), Tohoku University, 1–1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8574, Miyagi, Japan
Abstract
Background: Gait speed is an important indicator of walking ability in post-stroke patients. Although gait speed is associated with anterior–posterior reaction force (AP RF), how AP RF is distributed across the plantar surface and whether this distribution is associated with gait speed remain unclear. Methods: Fifteen post-stroke patients and 18 healthy controls were included. AP RF was measured during walking using a sensor shoe system equipped with four triaxial force sensors located at the heel, first metatarsal (MT1), fifth metatarsal (MT5), and toe regions. AP RF distribution was quantified as the relative contribution of each plantar region and compared among the paretic, non-paretic, and control sides across the stance phase using linear mixed-effects models. Associations between AP RF distribution and gait speed were examined using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients, with p-values adjusted for multiple testing using the Benjamini–Hochberg false discovery rate procedure. Results: Significant group × stance phase interactions were observed for the relative contributions of MT1 and MT5. After correction for multiple comparisons, the MT1 contribution at 81–90% of the stance phase was lower on both the paretic and non-paretic sides than on the control side, whereas the MT5 contribution at 1–10% was higher on both sides than on the control side. Total AP RF was also lower on the paretic and/or non-paretic sides than on the control side during several stance phases. On the non-paretic side, the MT5 contribution at 1–10% was negatively correlated with gait speed (rs = −0.66, BH-FDR adjusted p = 0.04). Conclusions: Post-stroke patients showed altered AP RF distribution during the early and late stance phases compared with healthy controls. Greater MT5 contribution on the non-paretic side during early stance was associated with slower gait speed, suggesting that AP RF distribution may provide additional information for characterizing gait impairment after stroke beyond total AP RF.
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BibTeX
@article{naito2026relationship,
title = {{Relationship Between Anterior–Posterior Plantar Reaction Force Distribution and Gait Speed in Post-Stroke Patients}},
author = {Daiki Naito and Yusuke Sekiguchi and Keita Honda and Midori Miyagi and Takeshi Yamaguchi and Toshiaki Nishi and Yoshihiro Sasaki and Jun-Ichi Hayasaka and Hide Matsumoto and Yuzuki Nakai and Daiki Haruyama and Satoru Ebihara},
journal = {Journal of Clinical Medicine},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/jcm15208014},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/20/8014},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Relationship Between Anterior–Posterior Plantar Reaction Force Distribution and Gait Speed in Post-Stroke Patients
AU - Daiki Naito
AU - Yusuke Sekiguchi
AU - Keita Honda
AU - Midori Miyagi
AU - Takeshi Yamaguchi
AU - Toshiaki Nishi
AU - Yoshihiro Sasaki
AU - Jun-Ichi Hayasaka
AU - Hide Matsumoto
AU - Yuzuki Nakai
AU - Daiki Haruyama
AU - Satoru Ebihara
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Journal of Clinical Medicine
DO - 10.3390/jcm15208014
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/20/8014
AB - Background: Gait speed is an important indicator of walking ability in post-stroke patients. Although gait speed is associated with anterior–posterior reaction force (AP RF), how AP RF is distributed across the plantar surface and whether this distribution is associated with gait speed remain unclear. Methods: Fifteen post-stroke patients and 18 healthy controls were included. AP RF was measured during walking using a sensor shoe system equipped with four triaxial force sensors located at the heel, first metatarsal (MT1), fifth metatarsal (MT5), and toe regions. AP RF distribution was quantified as the relative contribution of each plantar region and compared among the paretic, non-paretic, and control sides across the stance phase using linear mixed-effects models. Associations between AP RF distribution and gait speed were examined using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients, with p-values adjusted for multiple testing using the Benjamini–Hochberg false discovery rate procedure. Results: Significant group × stance phase interactions were observed for the relative contributions of MT1 and MT5. After correction for multiple comparisons, the MT1 contribution at 81–90% of the stance phase was lower on both the paretic and non-paretic sides than on the control side, whereas the MT5 contribution at 1–10% was higher on both sides than on the control side. Total AP RF was also lower on the paretic and/or non-paretic sides than on the control side during several stance phases. On the non-paretic side, the MT5 contribution at 1–10% was negatively correlated with gait speed (rs = −0.66, BH-FDR adjusted p = 0.04). Conclusions: Post-stroke patients showed altered AP RF distribution during the early and late stance phases compared with healthy controls. Greater MT5 contribution on the non-paretic side during early stance was associated with slower gait speed, suggesting that AP RF distribution may provide additional information for characterizing gait impairment after stroke beyond total AP RF.
SN - 2077-0383
ER -