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This study was undertaken to determine muscle strength of trunk flexion-extension in hemiplegic patients after stroke compared with that of normal controls. The design consisted of a nonrandomized control trial in a secondary care setting (a rehabilitation unit at a hospital facility). The subjects included 25 post-stroke male hemiplegic patients and 25 male healthy controls. The maximal peak torques of trunk flexion-extension at angular velocities of 0 degrees (isometric contraction), 60 degrees, 120 degrees, and 150 degrees/s were measured by using an isokinetic dynamometer (Cybex Trunk Extension-Flexion Unit, Cybex, Ronkonkoma, NY). Peak torque of trunk flexion and extension in hemiplegic patients was significantly smaller than that of healthy controls (P 0.05). The weakness of trunk flexion-extension muscles in hemiplegic patients might be accounted for by the bilateral innervation from the motor cortex, the insufficient use of high threshold motor units, and disuse atrophy.
Tanaka et al. (Wed,) studied this question.