Stroke-related factors associated with gait asymmetry in ambulatory stroke survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Jinyao Xu, Jeremy Witchalls, Elisabeth Preston, Li Pan, Gordon Waddington, Roger Adams, Jia Han

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Background Gait asymmetry, characterized by spatial (e.g., step length) and temporal (e.g., swing time) differences between the paretic and non-paretic limbs, is common after stroke. Despite increasing research on gait asymmetry, its associations with stroke-related factors remain unclear. Research question This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate these associations and provide insights for post-stroke rehabilitation. Methods A comprehensive search of PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Scopus identified observational studies published between January 2000 and June 2024. Studies examining the relationship between stroke-related factors and post-stroke gait asymmetry were included. Meta-analyses were performed on factors with sufficient data, extracting correlation coefficients (r) to estimate effect sizes. Results Fourteen studies met inclusion criteria, with eight studies (n = 468 participants) included in meta-analyses. Temporal asymmetry was significantly associated with lower limb motor and sensory deficits (r = −0.73; 95 % CI: −0.88 to −0.57; p 
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)173-181
Number of pages9
JournalGait Posture
Volume121
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2025

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