Objectives: To observe the mobility outcomes of an inpatient population of stroke patients grouped according to the Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project classification.
Study design: "Mobility milestones," standardized measures of functional movement, were used to examine mobility recovery.
Participants: Two hundred thirty-eight stroke patients admitted to the Western General Hospital, Edinburgh.
Main outcome measures: Times taken to achieve four mobility milestones: 1-minute sitting balance, 10-second standing balance, a 10-step walk, and a 10-meter walk.
Results: For all subjects the median times to achieve the milestones were as follows: 1-minute sitting balance, day of stroke; 10-second standing balance, 3 days; 10-step walk, 6 days; and a 10-meter walk, 9 days. Subjects sustaining a partial anterior circulation infarct, lacunar infarct, or posterior circulation infarct achieved the mobility milestones most rapidly and generally had a shorter hospital stay.
Conclusions: A hierarchical pattern of recovery of mobility reflecting variation between subgroups was observed. Predicted timescales for recovery of mobility are suggested.