Table 2 Primary and secondary outcomes

Primary outcome

Mean rMT (SD), %

T0

48.55 (5.72)

52.55 (7.15)

< 0.001

T1

45.18 (5.71)

−3.36 (− 3.94 to − 2.79)

50.09 (7.71)

−2.45 (− 3.09to − 1.82)

−4.91 (− 10.32 to 0.50)

0.075

T2

40.36 (5.45)

−8.18 (− 8.93 to − 7.43)

48.00 (7.43)

−4.55 (− 5.39to − 3.70)

−7.64 (− 12.82 to − 2.45)

0.004

Mean pMEPamp (SD), µV

T0

499.43 (63.88)

499.98 (105.83)

P < 0.001

T1

691.33 (152.35)

191.90 (128.60 to 255.20)

557.83 (133.84)

57.85 (35.64to80.07)

133.5 (19.24 to 247.76)

0.022

T2

849.48 (118.79)

350.05 (285.22 to 414.87)

597.50 (131.97)

97.52 (67.79to127.24)

251.9 (151.94to352.03)

< 0.001

Mean RC slope (SD)

T0

0.079 (0.007)

0.079 (0.01)

P < 0.001

T1

0.12 (0.02)

0.04 (0.03to0.05)

0.096 (0.02)

0.017 (0.012 to 0.02)

−0.02 (0.008to0.04)

0.004

T2

0.14 (0.02)

0.06 (0.05 to 0.07)

0.10 (0.02)

0.025 (0.02 to 0.03)

−0.03 (0.02to0.05)

< 0.001

Mean CMCT(SD), ms

T0

8.35 (1.07)

8.12 (1.75)

P < 0.001

T1

7.05 (0.95)

−1.30 (− 1.69 to − 0.91)

7.62 (1.71)

−0.49 (− 0.66 to − 0.32)

−0.57 (− 1.67 to 0.53)

0.308

T2

5.99 (1.32)

−2.36 (− 3.07 to − 1.66)

7.02 (1.82)

−1.10 (− 1.46 to − 0.74

−1.03 (− 2.29 to 2.15)

0.112

Secondary outcome

Mean 6-MWT(SD), m

T0

101.00 (14.98)

82.18 (30.95)

0.012

T1

119.27 (30.08)

18.27 (7.68to28.87)

95.82 (29.16)

1.64 (0.62to2.65)

23.45 (− 0.15to − 3.98)

0.051

T2

153.27 (25.89)

45.45 (42.18to48.72)

118.55 (34.10)

24.36 (17.91to30.81)

−21.09 (− 29.35to47.06)

0.011

Mean FMA-LE(SD), (score)

T0

22.18 (3.37)

22.91 (2.74)

0.026

T1

24.18 (1.78)

2.00 (0.77to3.23)

24.18 (1.78)

1.27 (0.56to1.99)

0.00 (− 1.42to1.42)

1.000

T2

27.82 (2.96)

5.64 (4.34to6.93)

26.18 (2.09)

3.27 (1.96to4.58)

1.64 (− 0.41to3.68)

0.116

Grade of FAC(SD), n (%)

0.026

T0

2

6 (54.5%)

-

6 (54.5%)

-

0.109

-

3

5 (45.5%)

-

5 (45.5%)

-

T1

2

3 (27.3%)

-

1 (9.1%)

-

-

-

0.519

3

7 (63.6%)

-

9 (81.8%)

-

4

1 (9.1%)

-

1 (9.1%)

-

T2

2

2 (18.2%)

-

0 (0%)

-

-

-

0.040

3

5 (45.5%)

-

2 (18.2%)

-

4

3 (27.3%)

-

6 (64.5%)

-

5

1 (9.1%)

-

3 (27.3%)

-

Myoelectricity

Mean CR of knee Flexion (SD),%

T0

43.52 (8.59)

51.63 (10.57)

0.491

T1

27.06 (7.66)

−0.15 (− 0.17to − 0.13)

37.59(9.16)

−0.15(− 0.17to − 0.13)

−0.09(− 0.16to − 0.03)

0.003

T2

17.05(5.77)

−0.25(− 0.28to − 0.22)

27.35(9.66)

−0.25(− 0.28to − 0.23)

−0.09(− 0.16to − 0.03)

0.003

Mean CR of ankle dorsiflexion (SD), %

T0

45.84 (12.25)

48.06 (14.07)

0.087

T1

28.81(8.78)

−0.15(− 0.18to − 0.12)

35.06(10.02)

−0.15(− 0.18to − 0.12)

−0.06(− 0.14to0.14)

0.115

T2

15.00(3.40)

−0.27(− 0.31to − 0.23)

24.71(10.22)

−0.27(− 0.31to − 0.23)

−0.06(− 0.14to0.14)

0.115

RMS of Rectus Femoris(SD),µV

T0

57,78(16.67)

58.20(35.71)

0.014

T1

72.71(13.50)

14.93(7.48to22.38)

66.16(33.07)

7.96(3.94to11.98)

6.55(− 13.58to26.68)

0.524

T2

91.18(18.68)

33.40(26.51to40.30)

78.45(37.86)

20.25(14.67to18.43)

12.73(− 11.05to36.52)

0.294

RMS of Biceps Femoris (SD), µV

T0

36.82(18.50)

38.32(25.92)

0.001

T1

51.16(23.31)

14.33(6.58to22.09

46.80(21.52)

8.48(4.62to12.34)

51.15(64.29to22.23)

0.633

T2

70.69(18.70)

33.87(28.77to38.96)

57.88(25.78)

19.57(14.20to24.93)

70.69(81.23to30.76)

0.162

RMS of Tibialis Anterior (SD), µV

T0

50.42(21.17)

42.17(27.84)

P < 0.001

T1

57.60(21.69)

7.18(− 1.09to15.45)

56.91(25.27)

14.74(8.58to20.91)

0.68(− 18.08to19.45)

0.943

T2

77.90(22.06)

27.48(15.45to31.28)

60.92(29.23)

18.75(14.49to23.01)

16.98(− 3.65to37.61)

0.107

RMS of Medial Gastrocnemius (SD), µV,

T0

47.64(26.64)

42.57(19.03)

0.010

T1

57.36(21.77)

9.73(3.86to15.60)

47.14(22.10)

4.57(− 0.88to10.02)

10.22(− 7.25to27.70)

0.252

T2

76.19(24.82)

28.55(22.52to34.58)

59.00(21.47)

16.43(11.31to21.55)

17.18(− 1.31to35.68)

0.069

Gait

Mean cadence (SD), step/min

T0

34.64(6.48)

30.99 (6.06)

0.014

T2

41.82(7.00)

−7.18 (− 7.81to − 6.55)

37.04 (6.36)

−6.05 (− 6.70to − 5.39)

4.78 (− 0.55to10.11)

0.079

Mean Gait Cycle Time (SD), S

T0

1.80(0.38)

2.04(0.59)

0.579

T2

1.48(0.27)

0.32(0.26to0.38)

1.68(0.41)

0.36(0.24to0.46)

−0.21 (− 0.48to0.07)

0.143

the ratio of support period to swing period (SD)

0.006

T0

0.48(0.15)

0.50(0.10)

T2

0.61(0.15)

−0.13 (− 0.15to − 0.11)

0.59 (0.10)

−0.09 (− 0.11to − 0.08)

0.02 (− 0.08to0.12)

0.724