Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine 51-1CompleteIssue | Page 20

Effect of AFOs on tibialis anterior EMG
analysis revealed that walking speed did not differ
between both groups after 26 weeks. Finally, it was not
possible to blind subjects and assessor for AFO use.
Within a single measurement session, AFO use lowers
TA muscle activity in the swing phase when walking
with AFO is compared with walking without AFO.
However, long-term AFO use for a period of 26
weeks after stroke does not affect TA muscle activity.
Furthermore, early or delayed provision of AFO does
not affect the results. The results clearly indicate that
there is no need to fear negative consequences on the
level of muscle activity of the TA muscle because of
long-term AFO use (early) after stroke.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to thank the patients and staff from
the Roessingh, Center for Rehabilitation, Enschede, the
Netherlands, and staff from Roessingh Rehabilitation Tech-
nology, Enschede, the Netherlands for their participation and
co-operation in the study. Furthermore, the authors would like
to thank Basko Healthcare for providing the AFOs.
This work was supported by grants from the Ministry of
Health, Welfare and Sport, the Netherlands; and “Stichting
Hulpfonds Het Roessingh”.
Conflicts of interest: The AFO used in this study were pro-
vided by Basko Healthcare, Zaandam, the Netherlands. Basko
Healthcare was not involved in designing the study, collecting
data or the analysis and interpretation of data. In addition, they
had no role in writing the article and the decision to submit the
article for publication.
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J Rehabil Med 51, 2019