Highest COG

This posture demands active muscle activation to maintain an upright position

Elevating the pelvis to clear the foot

Cessation of electrical activity in the back extensors during trunk flexion

Assess the impact of interventions on gait performance

Knock knees

Assess functional ambulation and dynamic balance by measuring the distance walked in six mins

Measurement between opposite feet

Structured forms track deviations, causes and clinical findings

Refers to the compression of vertebrae due to gravitational forces

Deformation from uneven loads disrupts nutrient diffusion, increasing the risk of degeneration

Precise measurements using technology

Normal walking speed

How many degrees is fick angle

Evaluates walking capacity, providing insights into functional status

Increase shear and tensile forces on the IV discs particulary the post and ant annuli

Number of steps per minute, indicating walking speed and efficiency

Involves bone or soft tissue changes, with concave growth asymmetry

Assessing flexibility and strength is essential

Individuals with low body mass or _____ are at higher risk due to increased seat interface pressures

Normal until age 6-7, correcting 5-7 deg in adulthood

Can further reduce lumbar spine stress by redistributing the load and providing addtl support for the upper body

Increase interdiscal pressure and lead to long term disc degeneration if sustained

Angle of foot with respect to the line of progression

Plays a crucial role in minimizing pressures

Excessive lumbar curvature increases shear forces and stresses anterior structures, predisposing to spondylolisthesis and lower back pain

Rate of change of speed

The body’s alignment is determined by the

Help maintain natural spinal curvature, reducing shear forces and distributing loads more evenly, thereby protecting spinal health

Observational gait analysis

Studies show that active erect standing can result in higher interdiscal pressures compared to sitting.

LOG shifts forward, increasing rhe gravitational moment and demanding more muscle effort, particularly from the trunk muscles to maintain balance

Increases lumbar lordosis and compensatory kyphosis in thoracuc and cervical spines, compressing posterior lumbar discs and straining zygapophyseal jts

Examins forces involved in gait, using force plates to measure GRF

Forces that devvelop where the bodg contracts the seat

Initially affect subdermal tissue and originate in muscle underlying bony prominences

LOG shifts anteriorly, overstretching posterior knee structures and increasing anterior compressive forces

Normal walking velocity

reduces muscle fatigue and pressure on the spine

Protective pattern to avoid pain

Computerized walkways system to measure spatial and temporal gait parameters

Dowager’s hump impairs respiratory function and exacerbates spinal loading

Initially affect the layers if skin near epidermal tissue

Distance measured by right heel strike to left heel strike

Scoliosis: observation

Helps reduce lumbar interdiscal pressures

Increases dorsiflexion, requiring plantarflexor activation to restore balance

Factors affecting gait

Initial contact

Particular muscles active in active erect sitting

Leads to abnormal stress on knee structures, patellar displacement, and associated foot pronation, tibial torsion and lumbar rotation

Limited ROM in jts can hinder limb clearance and affect gait efficiency

Higher energy expenditure

Leads to lumbar spine flattening, reducing shock absorption and load distribution capabilities

Types of gait analysis

Duration both feet are on the ground, providing insights into stability and balance

Prolonged flexed postures can lead to

Vital in rehabilitation settings to assess functional mobility, identify impairments and guide therapeutic interventions

Vitamin D efficiency, renal rickets and epiphyseal injuries

Used to measure seat interface pressures, helps identify high risk areas

Normal lateral pelvic shift

LOG shifts posteriorly requiring quads activation to counteract

Lowest COG

Flexion at PIP jy with hyperextension at the MTP and DIP jts

Walking on toes to compensate for limb length disrepancies

Timing and pattern of steps, indicating coordination and balance issues

Swinging the leg in a circular motion to avoid dragging

Rate of displacement

LOG is positioned closer to the jt axes, reducing gravitational moment and the required muscle activity

Systematic study of human locomotion that focuses on the mehanics of walking and running

Tight hip flexors; weak abdominals and hamstrings

LOG shifts forward in this posture, requiring less muscle activity

Restrictive footwear, muscle imbalances, neuromuscular disorders or plantar deficiencies

Ariaes when the LOG deviates from the jt axis, creating a torque that the body must counteract

Bow legs

Back rest angle

Anterior displacement increases cervical extensor workload and stress on posterior structures

Normal in infancy until age 3-4

Abnomral wt disribution causes painful callosities and altered biomechanics

Back extensors relax, passive tissues bear the load

Weakness in muscles leads to compensatory gait patterns, affecting overall mobility

Distance covered in one gait cycle, crucial for assessing walking efficiency

Painful gait

Lateral distance between the feet, indicating balance and stability

Requires muscle activation and passive tissue tension to stabilize the position

Muscle imbalances, paralysis or improperly fittes foot wear

Characterized by hyperextension at the MTP jts with flexion at the PIP and DIP jts, leading to reduced BOS, increased instability and postural sway

Loading response

Purpose of gait analysis

Indicates blood supply

Scoliosis is lateral curvature of the spine with rotation and _______ plane changes

Assess higher level mobility skills, used for TBI recovery

Visual assessments of gait patterns, such as symmetry and rhythm

Reversible with cause correction

Medial cortical thickening and patellar displacement

Normal cadence

Vector rate of displacement

Common gait analysis tools

Scoliosis: bracing

Caused by high interface pressures that reduce blood flow to tissues leading to damage