Analysis of step-to-step and intrastep gait patterns

Abstract

This work reports the results of an analysis of joint angle data performed to characterize human walking patterns. The joint angle data was collected in a previous study using normal subjects walking at three different speeds. The data provides the joint movement patterns in three dimensions for the knee, hip, and ankle joints. First, the existence of a correlation between successive steps was investigated. The angle data from each stride was examined at specific points of the gait cycle. Second, each maximum angular excursion within single steps from two major joints (knee, hip) was examined to determine whether there is a relationship between deviations from an average step in joint movements. This study also investigated the consistency of gait pattern between steps. This aspect examined the relationship between the movement of the hip joint and that of the knee joint. Graphical analysis was used in this study. To test the consistency of gait pattern, some statistical methods such as an ANOVA table, contingency table, and comparison of several proportions were used.