• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.49-56
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the kinematic characteristics and muscle activities during the following two conditions: transition from half-kneel to standing on the affected leg and non-affected leg. Methods: Twenty-one hemiplegic patients participated in the study. A motion analysis system was used to record the range of motion and angle velocity of the hip, knee and ankle from the half-kneel to the standing position. Electromyography was used to record the activity of 4 muscles. Results: The statistical analysis showed that the minimum ROM of the hip joint was less on the affected leg during transition from half-kneel to standing. However, the minimum ROM of the knee and ankle joints was less on the non-affected leg during transition from half-kneel to standing. The angle velocity of the knee and ankle joints was less during transition from half kneeling to standing on the non-affected leg. Muscle activity of the rectus femoris and tibialis anterior was less while moving from half-kneel to the standing position on the affected leg. Conclusion: These results show that greater active ROM of the knee and ankle was required on the affected leg for transition from half-kneel to the standing position than for normal gait. Muscle activity of the rectus femoris and tibialis anterior is normally required for movement from the half-kneel to the standing position during normal gait. Further studies are needed to investigate the antigravity movement in healthy subjects and hemiplegic patients in order to completely understand the normal and abnormal movement from the half-kneel to the standing position.