Quadriceps muscle activity and gait in people after stroke with stiff-knee gait vs healthy controls

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This observational study compares the four heads of the quadriceps muscle during walking, using ultrasound-guided fine-wire EMG and 3D motion analysis. Thirty adults with chronic post-stroke hemiparesis and stiff-knee gait will be analyzed alongside 24 healthy controls walking at a comparable slow speed. The goal is to understand how quadriceps activation relates to knee motion during the swing phase and to establish detailed reference data across quadriceps heads. The study uses invasive EMG in the quadriceps to capture activity during walking, with careful controls for walking speed to enable meaningful comparisons.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria (Post-Stroke SKG Group):

* Clinical diagnosis of cerebral stroke with hemiparesis.
* Age greater than 18 years.
* Right- or left-sided hemiparesis following stroke.
* Stroke occurred at least 6 months before assessment.
* Able to walk independently without a technical walking aid.
* Reduced knee flexion during the swing phase of gait (stiff-knee gait) identified by visual observation by an experienced clinician.

Exclusion Criteria (Post-Stroke SKG Group):

* Other disease or history of disease likely to influence gait, including peripheral neurological, cerebellar, vestibular, rheumatological, orthopedic, or metabolic disorders.
* Visual or hearing impairment.
* Medication likely to affect gait.
* Botulinum toxin injection into the lower-limb muscles within the preceding 6 months
* Use of illicit substances within 24 hours before the gait assessment.

Inclusion Criteria (Healthy-Control Group):

* Age greater than 18 years.
* No pathology likely to alter gait.
* No abnormality of knee kinematics identified during visual observation by an experienced clinician.

Where it's running

• Centre National de Rééducation Fonctionnelle et de Réadaptation
  Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg Recruiting

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Frédéric Chantraine, MD
• Email: frederic.chantraine@rehazenter.lu
• Phone: +35226981

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.