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The analysis and description of human gait
Clinical Biomechanics
1987; 2: 117-I 18
Printed in Great Britain
Editorial The analysis and description of human gait in this issue of Clinical
The paper published
nits by J C Wall.
J Charteris
Biomecha-
and G I Turnbull,
‘Two
steps equals one stride equals what?: the applicability of normal
gait nomenclature
terns’, is an important scientific
evaluation
leads medical towards
to abnormal
landmark of routine
and biomedical
a common
clinical
interest
in the
last century.
work of Eadward
Wall.
study of human
in 1067 published
Charteris
Inman, book
form
movement.
a good review
and Turnbull
an
of normal
now developed
was described
by
so well.
work on normal human walking is that of
Ralston
and Todd’.
which
in 19X1. This history
development
has been
of visualization
us to a state where
was published
of research
in
and the
devices has now brought
it is possible to stress the storage
tape which during walking
pair of optical
might
take
is displayed
to human
methodology;
metabolic
muscle action.
spatial and temporal
rate,
The problem.
biomechanical between
often
the variation
pathological
information.
efficiency
and the like.
of course, is that no two strides are alike
and the variation more
gait
positional
than
them in normal between
states. The reporting
subjects is normal
and
of mean values with
their standard error makes it even harder for the clinician to come to a decision about treatment. It is possible, poral parameters
though,
Research
studies.
describes
through
that metho-
use of equipment
of human gait by simple techniques.
Much can be learned from the measurement footprints
made
by walking
talc dusting powder
over a dark surface with
on the feet or from timing walking
and counting steps over a fixed distance. ing and stop-frame
playback
such as toe-off or foot-contact procedures consuming
Having
allow
recordevents
to be seen. These simple
the clinician learned
analysis of human
to develop
environment
where
gait is in
observational
about the individual
this way, it is possible to transfer clinical speed.
Video
individual
yield valuable information but are timeand tedious. However, a very important
aspect of such scientific teaching
of a trail of
normal
medical
that knowledge
a patient
is walking
to a at full
to the
atmosphere.
selected to dcmons-
or symptom
students as controls.
and with
a few
The real-life
en-
of a busy clinical session is very remote from
this. Time
and space are usually in short supply.
often
demonstrate
multiple
the
symptoms
the effort of moving down a walkway
and is too
let alone several runs to find a mean
value for the required The co-operation
data.
of biomedical
engineer
and clini-
cian is essential if the patient is to be helped through an analysis of movement. to a gait correct
laboratory
procedure.
the gait laboratory
The referral
However,
report
needs to be appreciated the bioengincer
the original following
is probably
the written
and under-
needs to be able
to a third party for
positive diagnosis.
In addition,
clinician needs the ability to assess subjectively or movement recording
of the patient
this information.
paper published is important.
the from
request for data and the clini-
cian may need to refer the patient treatment
of selected patients
for assessment
stood by the clinician.
and needs a method
of
It is in this area that the
here by Wall.
The description
the
the gait
Charteris
and Turnbull
and definition
of a suit-
able terminology that allows interdisciplinary communication and understanding of human gait is a vital prerequisite
for successful team treatment
or manage-
ment of the patient. JOIIN FOULSTON
skills.
aspects of gait in
in a calm
giving results from some patients a single condition
a
elsewhere.
gait studies are quite often limited
controlled trate
of the
to bring
movement
dology are to be published
to interpret
to study the spatial and tem-
in the desired
data from patients
much for them.
three-dimensional
or printed
good work that is being done by bioengineers obiectivity
gives
about the gait of the
Law’s paper. which is a typical example
sometimes
foot loading.
information
holes in
devices
which
pages of information parameters.
the reading
format.
several hours. The clinician may then be presented with about joint angle. joint moments.
streams through a
are placed on the floor
subject
patients
data
which
behind the subject. The velocity of perforated
analysis
of these
readers
the tapes passing through
vironment
presentation
and pro-
This describes a
method of attaching to each foot a length of perforated computer
capacity of a minicomputer with the total data collected from a single patient during one stride. The detailed and
for the collection
cessing of gait data is that by HT Law’.
spatial and temporal
there
human gait in which the terminology The definitive
of nor-
human locomotion.
in the scientific
Murray’
and
professions
in the description
Ever since the early photographic Muybridge’
pat-
findings
engineering
language
mal and pathological
walking
in the move towards a
A recent example of a paper describing a new technique with a microcomputer
References 1 Inman TI. Ralston JH. Todd F. Human walking. Baltimore/London: Williams and Wilkins. 1981
118
Clin. Biomech.
1987; 2: No 3
2 Law HT. Microcomputer-based
low-cost method for measurement of spatial and temporal parameters of gait. J Biomed Eng 1987; 9: 115-20 3 Murray MP. Gait as a total pattern of movement. Am J Phys Med 1967; 46: 200-333
4 Muybridge E. Descriptive zoopraxography or the science of animal locomotion made popular. University of Pennsylvania, 1893. (Original photographs by Muybridge have subsequently been published by Dover Publications, New York in 1979 in Muybridge’s Complete human and animal locomotion. Vols l-3)
THE VOLVO AWARDS FOR LOW BACK PAIN RESEARCH 1988 In order to encourage research in low Company of Goteborg. Sweden, this sored three prizes of US$ 7000 each. competitively on the basis of scientific three areas:
back pain, the Volvo year has again sponAwards will be made merit in the following
1. Clinical studies; 2. Bioengineering studies; 3. Studies in other basic science areas. Papers submitted for the contest must contain original material. not previously published or submitted for publication. A multiple authorship is acceptable. The manuscripts should be in the form of a complete report. including original illustrations. not exceeding 30 typewritten pages, double-spaced. and in a form suitable for submission to a scientitic journal. Six copies of each paper submitted in full should reach the address given below not later than November IS. 1987. One of the authors should be prepared. at his own expense. to come to Miami. Florida. USA, at the time of the meeting of the International Society for the study of the Lumber Spine. April 12-16. 198X. to present the paper and to receive the award. The board of referees will be chaired by the undersigned and will contain members from the fields of clinical medicine. bioengineering and biochemistry. Please direct all correspondence to: Professor Alf Nachemson. Department of Orthopaedics. Sahlgren Hospital, S-413 45 Goteberg, Sweden.
1987; 2: 117-I 18
Printed in Great Britain
Editorial The analysis and description of human gait in this issue of Clinical
The paper published
nits by J C Wall.
J Charteris
Biomecha-
and G I Turnbull,
‘Two
steps equals one stride equals what?: the applicability of normal
gait nomenclature
terns’, is an important scientific
evaluation
leads medical towards
to abnormal
landmark of routine
and biomedical
a common
clinical
interest
in the
last century.
work of Eadward
Wall.
study of human
in 1067 published
Charteris
Inman, book
form
movement.
a good review
and Turnbull
an
of normal
now developed
was described
by
so well.
work on normal human walking is that of
Ralston
and Todd’.
which
in 19X1. This history
development
has been
of visualization
us to a state where
was published
of research
in
and the
devices has now brought
it is possible to stress the storage
tape which during walking
pair of optical
might
take
is displayed
to human
methodology;
metabolic
muscle action.
spatial and temporal
rate,
The problem.
biomechanical between
often
the variation
pathological
information.
efficiency
and the like.
of course, is that no two strides are alike
and the variation more
gait
positional
than
them in normal between
states. The reporting
subjects is normal
and
of mean values with
their standard error makes it even harder for the clinician to come to a decision about treatment. It is possible, poral parameters
though,
Research
studies.
describes
through
that metho-
use of equipment
of human gait by simple techniques.
Much can be learned from the measurement footprints
made
by walking
talc dusting powder
over a dark surface with
on the feet or from timing walking
and counting steps over a fixed distance. ing and stop-frame
playback
such as toe-off or foot-contact procedures consuming
Having
allow
recordevents
to be seen. These simple
the clinician learned
analysis of human
to develop
environment
where
gait is in
observational
about the individual
this way, it is possible to transfer clinical speed.
Video
individual
yield valuable information but are timeand tedious. However, a very important
aspect of such scientific teaching
of a trail of
normal
medical
that knowledge
a patient
is walking
to a at full
to the
atmosphere.
selected to dcmons-
or symptom
students as controls.
and with
a few
The real-life
en-
of a busy clinical session is very remote from
this. Time
and space are usually in short supply.
often
demonstrate
multiple
the
symptoms
the effort of moving down a walkway
and is too
let alone several runs to find a mean
value for the required The co-operation
data.
of biomedical
engineer
and clini-
cian is essential if the patient is to be helped through an analysis of movement. to a gait correct
laboratory
procedure.
the gait laboratory
The referral
However,
report
needs to be appreciated the bioengincer
the original following
is probably
the written
and under-
needs to be able
to a third party for
positive diagnosis.
In addition,
clinician needs the ability to assess subjectively or movement recording
of the patient
this information.
paper published is important.
the from
request for data and the clini-
cian may need to refer the patient treatment
of selected patients
for assessment
stood by the clinician.
and needs a method
of
It is in this area that the
here by Wall.
The description
the
the gait
Charteris
and Turnbull
and definition
of a suit-
able terminology that allows interdisciplinary communication and understanding of human gait is a vital prerequisite
for successful team treatment
or manage-
ment of the patient. JOIIN FOULSTON
skills.
aspects of gait in
in a calm
giving results from some patients a single condition
a
elsewhere.
gait studies are quite often limited
controlled trate
of the
to bring
movement
dology are to be published
to interpret
to study the spatial and tem-
in the desired
data from patients
much for them.
three-dimensional
or printed
good work that is being done by bioengineers obiectivity
gives
about the gait of the
Law’s paper. which is a typical example
sometimes
foot loading.
information
holes in
devices
which
pages of information parameters.
the reading
format.
several hours. The clinician may then be presented with about joint angle. joint moments.
streams through a
are placed on the floor
subject
patients
data
which
behind the subject. The velocity of perforated
analysis
of these
readers
the tapes passing through
vironment
presentation
and pro-
This describes a
method of attaching to each foot a length of perforated computer
capacity of a minicomputer with the total data collected from a single patient during one stride. The detailed and
for the collection
cessing of gait data is that by HT Law’.
spatial and temporal
there
human gait in which the terminology The definitive
of nor-
human locomotion.
in the scientific
Murray’
and
professions
in the description
Ever since the early photographic Muybridge’
pat-
findings
engineering
language
mal and pathological
walking
in the move towards a
A recent example of a paper describing a new technique with a microcomputer
References 1 Inman TI. Ralston JH. Todd F. Human walking. Baltimore/London: Williams and Wilkins. 1981
118
Clin. Biomech.
1987; 2: No 3
2 Law HT. Microcomputer-based
low-cost method for measurement of spatial and temporal parameters of gait. J Biomed Eng 1987; 9: 115-20 3 Murray MP. Gait as a total pattern of movement. Am J Phys Med 1967; 46: 200-333
4 Muybridge E. Descriptive zoopraxography or the science of animal locomotion made popular. University of Pennsylvania, 1893. (Original photographs by Muybridge have subsequently been published by Dover Publications, New York in 1979 in Muybridge’s Complete human and animal locomotion. Vols l-3)
THE VOLVO AWARDS FOR LOW BACK PAIN RESEARCH 1988 In order to encourage research in low Company of Goteborg. Sweden, this sored three prizes of US$ 7000 each. competitively on the basis of scientific three areas:
back pain, the Volvo year has again sponAwards will be made merit in the following
1. Clinical studies; 2. Bioengineering studies; 3. Studies in other basic science areas. Papers submitted for the contest must contain original material. not previously published or submitted for publication. A multiple authorship is acceptable. The manuscripts should be in the form of a complete report. including original illustrations. not exceeding 30 typewritten pages, double-spaced. and in a form suitable for submission to a scientitic journal. Six copies of each paper submitted in full should reach the address given below not later than November IS. 1987. One of the authors should be prepared. at his own expense. to come to Miami. Florida. USA, at the time of the meeting of the International Society for the study of the Lumber Spine. April 12-16. 198X. to present the paper and to receive the award. The board of referees will be chaired by the undersigned and will contain members from the fields of clinical medicine. bioengineering and biochemistry. Please direct all correspondence to: Professor Alf Nachemson. Department of Orthopaedics. Sahlgren Hospital, S-413 45 Goteberg, Sweden.