The majority of stroke patients present that upper extremity of hemiplegic limb is weaker than lower extremity. However, there is a sizeable group of stroke patients with weakness affecting more predominantly lower extremity than upper extremity. This study designed to determine the incidence, anatomical lesions, and functional outcomes of stroke patients with lower extremity weakness.

The result are as follows:

1) Among 129 stroke patients, 6 cases(4.7%) present predominant lower extremity weakness.

2) The anatomical lesions of these cases are anterior cerebral artery infarction in 3 cases, corona radiata infarction, internal capsular infarction, and pontine lacunar infarction in 1 case respectively. There is correlation between somatotopic area of cortex or corticospinal tract corresponding to lower extremity and lower extremity weakness.

3) Functional Independence Measure(FIM) scores of lower extremity weakness at the beginning of rehabilitation are not significantly different from those of classic stroke patients with dominant upper extremity weakness. FIM scores of lower extremity weakness group at the time of discharge are higher than those of upper extremity weakness group.

This study indicated that the infarcts involving internal capsule and brain stem corresponding to somatotopic organization of lower extremity presented the weakness of lower extremity as seen in the patients of anterior cerebral artery territory. The results are based on relatively small, as yet, population of stroke. And therefore a further study is necessary to provide a conclussive data.