Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare and analyze the differences between weight bearing through the plegic and nonplegic lower extremities in hemiplegic patients in various standing conditions.
Method: We used digital scales to measure weight bearing among 13 hemiplegic patients when they performed comfortable standing, maximal weight shifting to each lower extremity, step standing with each foot on a step, and maximal weight shifting to each lower extremity again.
Results: 1) Patients bore significantly more weight on their nonplegic lower extremity than on their plegic one during comfortable standing (p＜0.05).
2) They bore significantly more weight on their nonplegic lower extremity than on their plegic lower extremity when maximal weight shifting was done (p＜0.01).
3) They bore very significantly more weight on the lower extremity that was not on the step during step standing regardless of whether it was plegic or nonplegic (p＜0.001).
4) When maximal weight shifting was done again, the weight bearing of plegic lower extremity was insignificantly decreased compared to that before step standing (p＞0.05) and the weight bearing of nonplegic lower extremity was insignificantly increased (p＞0.05).
Conclusion: Step standing was a very useful training method of facilitating the weight bearing in hemiplegic lower extremity.
