Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of knee flexor isokinetic training on the mean peak torque of knee muscles and hamstrings-to-quadriceps ratio(H/Q ratio) in hemiplegia able to walk independently for more than 10 meters, to analyze the effect of torque increasing on functional aspects; fatigability and ambulation times, also. Forty-one adult subjects with hemiplegia secondary to a stroke partipated in this study. All participants were in/out patients at the College of Medicine, Pocheon CHA University, Pundang CHA General Hospital. The patients were allocated to two groups: one group exclusively for isokinetic maximal voluntary knee flexor training at $150^{\circ}$/sec(n=20) and the other exclusively for isokinetic maximal voluntary knee flexor training from $30^{\circ}$/sec to $150^{\circ}$/sec (n=21) gradually. The allocation was performed according to patient age, sex, affected side to minimize imbalance between the two training groups. Training was carried out from February 14th, 2000 to April 15th, 2000. Analysis of the data was done by means of t-test, x2-test, paired t-test, ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis. The results of this study were as follows: 1. There were no significant differences between the two groups in mean peak torque of knee muscles and relative decreases in knee extensor mean peak torque with increased knee flexor velocities before training (P<.05). 2.There was no significant differences between the two groups in the H/Q ratio, and no relative increases with increased knee flexor velocities before training. 3. there were significant changes in mean peak torque in group A after training(P<.05), but no significant differences as the velocity increased 4.there were significant changes in mean peak torque in group B after training(P<.05), but no significant differences as the velocity increased 5.there were no significant differences between the two groups, and no significant differences in mean peak torque increase rate between the groups with increased knee flexor velocities after training 6.H/Q ratio increased with increased knee flexor velocities between the two groups, but not statistically And there was no significant differences between the groups with increased knee flexor velocities 7.After training, Ambulation time and its decreasing rate decreased significantly in group B (P<.05) 8Before and after training, there was no significant differences between the groups in the fatiguability 9. In the multiple regression analysis, mean peak torque increase rate of the knee extensor and flexor were higher in group B than A(P<.05), and significantly higher with increased knee flexor velocities (P<.05) Also, training method influenced on Ambulation times decreases significantly(P<.05). Results indicated that knee flexor isokinetic training was effective to knee extensor and flexor mean peak torque increase in the hemiplegia able to walk independently for more than 10 meters. Therefore, we were able to conclude that gradual training from low to high velocity was more effective in the increase of mean peak torque of knee joint and decrease of Ambulation times than training only at high velocity.