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Updated: Jul 11, 2026
Clinical-oriented Three-dimensional Gait Analysis Method for Evaluating Gait Disorder
Published on: March 4, 2018
Quantitative gait analysis of patients with bilateral hip osteoarthritis excluding the influence of walking speed
Masafumi Kubota1, Seiichiro Shimada, Shigeru Kobayashi
1Division of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Fukui Hospital, 23 Matsuoka Shimoaizuki, Eiheiji, Fukui, 910-1193, Japan.
Insights
Bilateral hip osteoarthritis (BHO) patients exhibit distinct gait patterns, including higher cadence and ankle power, and altered pelvic tilt, independent of walking speed.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Orthopedics
- Gait Analysis
Background:
- Osteoarthritis significantly impacts joint function.
- Bilateral hip osteoarthritis (BHO) presents unique challenges in mobility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the gait characteristics of patients with BHO, independent of walking speed.
- To identify specific kinematic and kinetic alterations in BHO patients.
Main Methods:
- Gait parameters were measured in 12 BHO patients and 12 healthy adults using 3D computerized gait analysis.
- Data included free walking for BHO patients and both free and slow walking for controls.
Main Results:
- BHO patients showed lower walking speed, step length, and cadence during free walking compared to controls.
- Adjusting for walking speed revealed BHO patients maintained higher cadence and exhibited forward pelvic tilt and pelvic drop during stance.
- Reduced hip extension/abduction angles and moments, with increased ankle power generation were observed in BHO patients.
Conclusions:
- Gait in BHO is characterized by increased cadence and ankle power.
- Reduced hip range of motion and altered pelvic kinematics (forward tilt, stance phase drop) are key features.
- These findings provide insights into the biomechanical adaptations in BHO gait.
Background:
The purpose of this study was to investigate gait characteristics of patients with bilateral hip osteoarthritis (BHO) independent of walking speed.
Methods:
We measured gait parameters in 12 BHO patients during free walking activities and in 12 normal adults during both free walking and slow walking activities using a three-dimensional computerized gait analysis system.
Results:
Patients with BHO had a lower walking speed, step length, and cadence than normal subjects during free walking. When compared with normal subjects walking at a slow speed, the walking speed difference among BHO patients disappeared, although BHO patients retained a relatively high cadence. Kinematic and kinetic factor analysis of BHO patients at free speed compared to normal subjects walking at a slow speed showed a forward-tilted pelvic angle in the BHO patients that dropped to that of the ipsilateral side during the stance phase. The peak extension and abduction angle of the hip and the peak abduction moment of the hip were all low, whereas the peak generation power of the ankle was high in BHO patients.
Conclusions:
Gait characteristics of patients with BHO, independent of walking speed, were as follows: (1) increased cadence and ankle generation power; (2) reduced step width, hip extension, and abduction angle as well as a lower hip abduction moment; (3) maintained forward tilting of the pelvis during gait cycle; and (4) appearance of a dropped pelvis during the stance phase.
