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Updated: Jun 13, 2026
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Clinical Assessment of Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters in Patients and Older Adults
Published on: November 7, 2014
Quantifying complexity and variability in phase portraits of gait
Louis A DiBerardino1, John D Polk, Karl S Rosengren
1Department of Mechanical Science & Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 W. Green Street, Urbana IL 61801, USA.
Clinical Biomechanics (Bristol, Avon)
|April 20, 2010
Summary
Lower extremity injury increases gait complexity and variability in both limbs. New methods quantify these changes in limb segment motion, aiding clinical gait analysis.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Gait Analysis
- Movement Science
Background:
- Lower extremity injuries commonly impair joint motion and alter gait patterns.
- Unilateral injury is hypothesized to increase complexity and variability in both limbs during walking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate novel methods for quantifying gait complexity and variability.
- To assess changes in limb segment motion during simulated unilateral lower extremity injury.
Main Methods:
- Simulated knee injury using an external brace to restrict motion.
- Generation of angular phase portraits for thigh, shank, and foot segments.
- Fourier-based analysis for complexity and centroid excursion for variability.
Main Results:
- Bracing significantly increased complexity and variability in the braced (right) limb.
- Variability, but not complexity, increased in the contralateral (left) limb during bracing.
Conclusions:
- The developed methods successfully quantify changes in gait complexity and variability.
- These quantifiable measures can enhance clinical assessments of gait dynamics and injury impact.
