if they had suffered a single
stroke at least 1 year previously, were able to walk 10m
unassisted with a cane without any ankle-foot orthosis (AFO),
had spastic ankle plantarflexors with a Composite Spasticity
Scale (CSS) score 10,23 and had at least 10° of passive ankle
dorsiflexion. Candidates were excluded if they had any medical
comorbidity, receptive dysphasia, or any cognitive impairment
denoted by scoring less than 7 of 10 on the Abbreviated Mental
Test.24 Other orthopedic and medical conditions that would
hinder proper assessment were also grounds for exclusion.
The ethics committee of the local institution approved