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Updated: Sep 29, 2025
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Clinical Assessment of Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters in Patients and Older Adults
Published on: November 7, 2014
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Comparing spatiotemporal gait parameters between overground walking and self-paced treadmill walking in persons after
Anke Van Bladel1,2, Roel De Ridder1, Tanneke Palmans1
1Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Disability and Rehabilitation
|March 25, 2022
Summary
Self-paced treadmills offer a viable alternative for gait analysis in stroke survivors, though slower walking speeds and altered parameters require consideration. Variability and symmetry measures remain comparable to overground walking.
Area of Science:
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Biomechanics
- Neurology
Background:
- Gait analysis is crucial for assessing and managing individuals post-stroke.
- Traditional overground gait analysis can be limited by space and time constraints.
- Self-paced treadmills offer a potentially more natural gait pattern than fixed-speed treadmills.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the self-paced treadmill as an alternative to overground gait analysis for individuals after stroke.
- To compare spatiotemporal parameters, variability, and symmetry between overground and self-paced treadmill walking.
Main Methods:
- Twenty-five individuals post-stroke walked overground and on a self-paced treadmill in a randomized order.
- Spatiotemporal parameters, variability, and symmetry were analyzed.
- Concurrent validity was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients and Bland-Altman plots.
Main Results:
- Walking velocity was significantly lower on the self-paced treadmill compared to overground.
- This velocity difference accounted for significant changes in spatiotemporal parameters (27.7%-83.8%).
- Variability and symmetry measures were similar between the two conditions, but Bland-Altman plots indicated bias.
Conclusions:
- Self-paced treadmills are a valuable alternative for gait analysis in stroke survivors, despite slower velocities.
- Clinicians must account for altered spatiotemporal parameters when using self-paced treadmills for gait analysis in this population.
- Individuals post-stroke appear to maintain their gait patterns on self-paced treadmills.
