Active ankle dorsiflexion and the Mingazzini manoeuvre: two clinical bedside tests related to prognosis of postural transferring, standing and walking ability in patients with stroke.

BACKGROUND: Lower limb paresis is one of the main determinants of postural transferring, standing and walking disability in patients with stroke. Early prognosis of recovery of lower limb function and of related functional disability is an important issue in neurorehabilitation clinical practice.

AIM: Aim of this study was to assess the relationship between active ankle dorsiflexion and the Mingazzini manoeuvre with the prognosis of lower limb function and of postural transferring, standing and walking ability in patients with stroke.

DESIGN: This was a longitudinal study with prospectively collected data.

SETTING: University hospital.

POPULATION: The study included 53 patients with first unilateral brain ischemic stroke.

METHODS: Patients were evaluated initially (mean 4.02 days) and approximately at six months (mean 178.6 days) after stroke. Initial assessment included active ankle dorsiflexion and the Mingazzini manoeuvre. The assessment after six months included three outcome measures evaluating the rate of improvement of lower limb function and of postural transferring, standing and walking ability (Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke patients, Functional Ambulation Category, Motricity Index leg subtest).

RESULTS: The active ankle dorsiflexion showed to be related with the prognosis of lower limb function and of walking ability, while the Mingazzini manoeuvre was related with the improvement of postural transferring and standing ability.

CONCLUSION: Active ankle dorsiflexion and the Mingazzini manoeuvre are related with the prognosis of lower limb function and of postural transferring, standing and walking ability in patients with stroke.

CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: These simple bedside tests give a picture of improvement potential of motor activities connected to lower limb function in patients with acute stroke.