A study in the December 2011 issue of Physical Therapy concludes that peroneal functional electrical stimulation (FES) is more effective than an AFO with respect to the ability of a person with stroke-related foot drop to negotiate a sudden obstacle.
Twenty-four community-dwelling people with stroke (mean age=52.6 years) who regularly used a polypropylene AFO were fitted with an FES device. The participants’ obstacle avoidance ability was tested after two and eight weeks. They had to avoid 30 obstacles that were suddenly dropped on a treadmill in front of the affected leg while walking with either an FES device or an AFO.
According to the study, success rates were higher with FES than with an AFO, especially after adjustment for individual leg-muscle strength. The observed gains in obstacle avoidance ability appear to be clinically most relevant in the people with relatively low leg-muscle strength.
The study authors indicate that further work is needed to determine whether the results may be generalized to other groups of people with stroke.
