Three-dimensional kinematic and kinetic gait analysis in young Thai adults, using the motion analysisTM System.

ABSTRACT

The purposes of this study were to investigate three-dimensional gait characteristics of hip, knee and ankle joints, and ground reaction forces in young Thai male and female subjects. Twenty healthy volunteer subjects (10 male and 10 females) in the age range 17-25 years were tested. Gait analysis was acquired using a Motion AnalysisTM six-camera system and two force platforms with Ortho TrakTM II software. Seventeen spherical reflective body markers were attached to the left and right sides of the body. Subjects were asked to walk across the camera fields of view. Three trials of preferred speed walking were collected for each subject. The temporospatial characteristics, the sagittal angular displacements of hip, knee and ankle joints, and ground reaction forces (GRF) were calculated and analysed. Comparisons of gait characteristics between left and right lower extremities, and between male and female subjects were also reported. The results revealed no significant differences in temporospatial characteristics between the male and female groups. There were consistent patterns of motion for the hip joint in female subjects were greater than those in the male subjects, while the sagittal angular angular displacements of the knee joint in the male subjects were greater than those in the female subjects. A typical pattern of vertical GRF was demonstrated in all subjects. The results of this study have shown symmetrical gait characteristics between left and right lower extremities in both the male and female groups.