ABSTRACT
The objective of the study was to assess the retest-reliability of ten different gait parameters in healthy children (n=12; age 6-7 years) and adults (n=12; age 21-35 years) during free-speed locomotion on a simple walkway. Further the intra-subject variability of the stride dimensions was checked. On two occasions, spatial gait parameters were measured by footprint analysis, temporal dimensions were recorded using video-analysis. For spatial gait parameters, correlation coefficients (ICC, Pearson's r) between the test and the retest results were found to be high in adults and satisfying in children. The temporal parameters were less consistent. Generally the within-trial variability was higher in children than in adults. Conclusions: (i) The retest reliability for the measurement of the spatial gait parameters can be judged as high. (ii) For gait analysis in children it should be taken into account that gait parameters are more variable from trial to trial than in adults. Copyright 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.
ABSTRACT
Gait analysis on the treadmill and in the overground condition is used both in scientific approaches for investigating the neuronal organisation and ontogenetic development of locomotion and in a variety of clinical applications. We investigated the differences between overground and treadmill locomotion (at identical gait velocity) in 12 adults and 14 children (6-7 years old). During treadmill locomotion the step frequency increased by 7% in adults and 10% in children compared to overground walking, whereas the stride length and the stance phase of the walking cycle decreased. The swing phase, however, increased significantly by 5% in adults and remained unchanged in children. Balance-related gait parameters such as the step width and foot rotation angles increased during treadmill locomotion. The reduction of the step length was found to be stable after 10 min of treadmill walking in most subjects. With regard to the shifted phases of the walking cycle and the changed balance related gait parameters in the treadmill condition, we assume a different modulation of the central pattern generator in treadmill walking, due to a changed afferent input. Regarding the pronounced differences between overground and treadmill walking in children, it is discussed whether the systems generating and integrating different modulations of locomotion into a stable movement pattern have reached full capacity in 6-7 year old children.
