Quantifying Gait Asymmetry in Stroke Patients: A Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) Approach

BACKGROUND The VICON Toolkit enables three-dimensional (3D) motion capture for gait analysis. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) is a voxel-based neuroimaging approach used to identify region-specific effects. This study aimed to apply SPM to analyze the joint angles of the hip, knee, and ankle during gait in 20 post-stroke patients using the VICON motion capture system. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 20 post-stroke patients participated in the study. A 10-camera VICON motion capture system (250 Hz) was used to record 3D kinematic data. Joint angles were assessed in the sagittal, frontal, and transverse planes using SPM. The data were normalized to 100% of the gait cycle, and a paired t test was performed to assess asymmetry between affected (AS) and unaffected sides (UAS), with P<0.05 considered statistically significant. RESULTS Significant asymmetry was observed in the hip and knee joint angles in the sagittal plane. The hip joint showed differences during 0-39% of the stance phase and 40-100% of the swing phase. The knee joint exhibited differences during 98-100% of the stance phase and 0-79% of the swing phase (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The study highlights the importance of addressing asymmetry in the hip and knee joints in post-stroke rehabilitation programs. The findings indicate the need for improving hip and knee joint mobility to enhance functional gait outcomes. The use of SPM provides a more comprehensive analysis of gait asymmetry, offering insights that go beyond traditional spatiotemporal methods.