Treadmill-Based Gait Kinematics in the Yucatan Mini Pig

Area of Science:

• Biomechanical research
• Animal models
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Yucatan miniature pigs (YMPs) offer human-like spinal cord characteristics, making them valuable for spinal cord injury (SCI) research.
• Limited data exists on pig gait kinematics, particularly during treadmill locomotion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the gait kinematics of Yucatan miniature pigs (YMPs) during bipedal and quadrupedal locomotion on a treadmill.
• To establish a reliable methodology for treadmill-based kinematic assessment in YMPs for SCI research.

Main Methods:

• Twelve healthy YMPs underwent kinematic assessment on a treadmill at speeds ranging from 1.0 to 3.5 km/h.
• Measurements included limb coordination, proximal and distal limb angles, stride, stance, and swing durations.
• Analysis compared bipedal and quadrupedal gait parameters across different speeds.

Main Results:

• YMPs consistently used a lateral sequence footfall pattern across all tested speeds.
• Stride and stance durations decreased with increasing speed, while swing duration remained constant.
• Significant differences in distal limb angular kinematics were observed between bipedal and quadrupedal gaits, and speed influenced these parameters.

Conclusions:

• This study provides a foundational methodology for treadmill-based bipedal and quadrupedal gait analysis in YMPs.
• The treadmill effectively engages spinal circuitry for basic stepping patterns, similar to feline models.
• A recommended walking speed of 2.5 km/h (0.7 m/sec) is proposed for preclinical SCI studies using YMPs.