Lower Limb Coordination After Post-op Complications in a Case With Ankle Stiffness

This research aims to investigate the effect of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) and Faradic electrotherapy (FES) on lower limb coupling during gait in a patient with excessive ankle stiffness.

The study was conducted on a single patient who was diagnosed with ankle stiffness, decreased muscle strength due to 3.5 years of immobilization of the ankle joint, and was experiencing difficulty in walking. The patient underwent a 12-week treatment program that included IASTM and FES. The lower limb kinematics were measured using a motion analysis system before and after the intervention and couplings were calculated for 3-dimensional ankle movement. 

The results of the study changed ankle-knee, ankle-hip sagittal and transverse, and knee-hip frontal and transverse plane coupling during different subphases of gait after the intervention. The observed coordination pattern in the subjects under investigation approached a level of similarity to that of healthy individuals in loading response (LR) and midstance (MS) for the ankle-knee sagittal plane.

The results of this study suggest that IASTM and FES can be used as effective interventions to lower limb coordination during gait in patients with post-operation complications. Further research on more patients is required.