Instrumented gait analysis has evolved into a recognized objective evaluation that is important in surgical and rehabilitation therapy planning for the child with an abnormal walking pattern.
The technology related to gait and motion analysis has improved significantly in recent years, enabling the collection and analysis of large amounts of data obtained simultaneously from a variety of specialized measurement instruments.
The resulting quantitative description provides a comprehensive snapshot of the subject's movement pattern at a particular point in their development or at discrete intervals in their treatment. The clinician can use this information to describe the complex physiological interactions that lead to abnormal movement and motor control, and better understand their impact on gait, movement, and other functional activities.A clear understanding of instrumented gait analysis data and the ability to perform a meaningful interpretation that is clinically relevant remains a challenge for many physicians. This may be attributable to the specialized nature of the gait analysis report or the false perception that an extensive biomechanics background is required to integrate movement data into the clinical decision-making process (1). More frequently, however, the underutilization of modern gait analysis techniques in pediatric rehabilitation is related to the difficulty associating gait measurement deviations seen in the report with specific functional deficits during the walking cycle. Fundamental to making this connection is a clear understanding of the functional demands of normal gait. Recognizing the essential features of normal, efficient locomotion provides the basis for identifying the absence of these features in the child with gait dysfunction and, when applied systematically, can provide a strategy for clinical gait analysis (2).
Therefore, the goal of this chapter is to familiarize the clinician with basic gait analysis principles by focusing on the inherent functional requirements of normal locomotion. This provides a framework for using specific gait measurements to pinpoint the joint or muscle system responsible for a particular functional deficit, which can then be the target of appropriate clinical interventions.