BACKGROUND: A novel way to evaluate muscle strength and functioning in the lower limbs is to measure how high a person could step up on a platform, the so called Maximal Step-up Test (MST). Studies of healthy persons and overweight women have shown that the maximal step-up height(MSH) is associated with both muscle strength and physical function, but no study has assessed persons after stroke.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between isokinetic and isometric knee muscle strength and maximal step-up height after stroke.
METHODS: A convenience sample of 21 ambulatory persons with stroke(13 men and eight women; mean age 63 ± 12 years; mean time since stroke onset 26 ± 36 months). Isokinetic concentric knee extension and knee flexion strength at 60°/s and isometric knee extension strength at 90° were measured for both lower limbs with a Biodex dynamometer. Maximal step-up height was measured using a 40 cm × 60 cm platform, which could be raised from 3 cm to 45 cm with 3 cm intervals. The relationship between knee muscle strength (normalized to body weight) and the maximal step-up height was analysed with the Pearson's correlation coefficient (r).
RESULTS: There were significant but only moderate relationships between the paretic isokinetic knee extension, and flexion, strength and maximal step-up height, r= 0.49; p < 0.05, and r= 0.57; p < 0.01, respectively.
CONCLUSION: These moderate relationships indicate that muscle weakness is only partially associated with maximal step-up height after stroke. The MST may therefore have limited value in the assessment of muscle strength after stroke.
