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Updated: Jun 14, 2026
Clinical Assessment of Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters in Patients and Older Adults
Published on: November 7, 2014
Temporal and spatial gait parameters analysis in non-pathological Mexican children
Ana Moreno-Hernández1, Gerardo Rodríguez-Reyes, Ivett Quiñones-Urióstegui
1Department of Human Motion Laboratory, National Rehabilitation Institute, Mexico City, Mexico. moreno.hdez.ana@gmail.com
Insights
This study established normal temporal and spatial gait parameters for Mexican children aged 6-13. Age and footwear significantly influence gait, but gender does not, providing crucial reference data for pediatric gait analysis.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gait Analysis
- Biomechanics
- Human Movement Science
Background:
- Establishing normative gait data is essential for identifying deviations in pediatric populations.
- Understanding factors influencing gait parameters in children is crucial for accurate clinical assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define normal temporal and spatial gait parameters in healthy Mexican children (6-13 years).
- To establish reference data for future comparisons with pathological pediatric gait patterns.
- To assess the influence of age, gender, and footwear on gait parameters.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive study involving 120 healthy children (61 boys, 59 girls) aged 6-13 years.
- Gait data was collected using the GAITRite System.
- Analysis included stratification by age, gender, and footwear to evaluate their impact on gait parameters.
Main Results:
- Age significantly affected gait parameters, with decreased steps, velocity, and cadence, and increased step/stride length with advancing age.
- Footwear use altered gait, increasing velocity and step/stride length while decreasing cadence.
- No significant differences in gait parameters were observed based on gender.
Conclusions:
- Gait patterns in Mexican children are significantly influenced by age and footwear.
- Gender does not appear to be a significant factor in temporal and spatial gait parameters for this age group.
- The findings provide valuable reference data for pediatric gait assessment and research.
Objective:
To examine temporal and spatial gait parameters in Mexican healthy pediatric subjects to describe normal values which could serve as reference data to eventually compare pathological patterns of the Mexican infant gait.
Materials And Methods:
Descriptive study that analyzed the gait of 120 children (61 boys and 59 girls) between the ages of 6 and 13 years old. Modifying factors (age, gender, and footwear) were recorded and its impact over temporal and spatial gait parameters was assessed. The data was stratified according to the modifying factors. A GAITRite System was used for recording the gait data.
Results:
Significant differences were noted for the following factors: age and the use of footwear. As the individual advances in age, a decrease in number of steps, normalized velocity, velocity, cadence, normalized cadence, normalized step and stride length was observed. In contrast, step and stride length increased. Use of footwear increased velocity (normalized and non-normalized), normalized cadence, step and stride length (normalized and non-normalized), and percentage of stance GC phase; cadence and swing GC percentage diminished. Gender stratification showed no significant differences in any temporal and spatial gait parameters. There were also found significant differences with those reported for normal adult and pediatric gait in the literature.
Conclusion:
Age and footwear modified gait pattern in the studied sample, while gender apparently did not exert any influence on it.
