Task Specific Training and Conventional Physical Therapy on Ankle Dorsiflexion in Sub-acute Stroke Patients

Overview

This study is a randomized clinical trial designed to compare two physiotherapy rehabilitation approaches for people in the sub-acute phase after stroke (2-6 months after stroke). Stroke often causes weakness of the ankle dorsiflexor muscles, which can lead to foot drop and difficulty walking safely. Improving ankle control may help balance and functional mobility. Eligible participants will be recruited from two tertiary care hospitals using purposive sampling and enrolled after providing informed consent. After baseline assessment, participants will be randomly allocated to one of two groups. The experimental group will receive task-specific training combined with conventional physiotherapy, and the control group will receive conventional physiotherapy alone. Treatment will be delivered for 8 weeks, three sessions per week. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline and after completion of the 8-week intervention. The primary outcomes are ankle dorsiflexor strength measured by Manual Muscle Testing (MMT) and functional mobility measured by the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. Balance measured by the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) is the secondary outcome. An independent outcome assessor who is not involved in treatment delivery will conduct the assessments to reduce measurement bias.

This interventional randomized clinical trial will be conducted over nine months following institutional ethical approval at the University of Lahore Teaching Hospital, Lahore, and Sharif City Medical Hospital. Participants will be recruited using a non-probability purposive sampling technique from the study settings. Eligibility criteria include adults aged 40-65 years with sub-acute stroke (2-6 months post-stroke), ability to walk with or without an assistive device, minimum ankle plantarflexion-dorsiflexion range, ability to follow commands (MMSE ≥24), and plantarflexor spasticity grade 1 or 1+. Key exclusions include uncorrected sensory impairment, neglect, aphasia, painful musculoskeletal conditions, other neurological disorders, and concurrent participation in other rehabilitation programs. After written informed consent, participants will undergo baseline assessment of functional mobility, balance, and ankle dorsiflexor strength. Randomization will be performed after enrollment using an online randomization tool, with allocation concealment implemented through a sealed-envelope method. This study will use a single-blinded approach in which outcome assessment is conducted by an independent assessor who is not involved in treatment delivery and is unaware of group allocation. Participants will be allocated to one of two parallel groups: Group A (Experimental): Task-specific training plus conventional physiotherapy Participants will receive an 8-week program, three sessions per week, approximately 45 minutes per session. Task-specific gait training will include functional walking activities (forward, backward, and sideways walking with appropriate safety guarding and rest intervals). Additional task-oriented lower-limb activities may include toe walking, heel raises on a step, single-leg stance tasks, active toe lifts, and resisted ankle dorsiflexion exercises. Conventional physiotherapy components may be provided alongside task-specific training as per protocol. Group B (Control): Conventional physiotherapy only Participants will receive an 8-week conventional physiotherapy program, three sessions per week (approximately 45-60 minutes/session), focusing on ankle dorsiflexor strengthening and flexibility. The program will include isometric dorsiflexion against resistance, progressive concentric dorsiflexion strengthening using bands/weights with planned progression, and plantarflexor stretching. Outcome Measures and Time Points Assessments will be performed at baseline and immediately post-intervention (after 8 weeks). Primary outcomes are (1) ankle dorsiflexor strength assessed by Manual Muscle Testing (MMT) and (2) functional mobility assessed by the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. Secondary outcome is balance assessed by the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). Data will be analyzed using SPSS with significance level set at p \< 0.05. Sample Size Sample size was calculated using Epitool as 54 participants (27 per group). To account for an anticipated 20% dropout rate, the target enrollment will be 66 participants (33 per group).