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Updated: Aug 30, 2025
Clinical-oriented Three-dimensional Gait Analysis Method for Evaluating Gait Disorder
Published on: March 4, 2018
Analysis of Joint Power and Work During Gait in Children With and Without Cerebral Palsy
Priyam Hazra1, Sheila Gibbs1, Graham Arnold1
1Institute of Motion Analysis and Research (IMAR), Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 9SY UK.
Insights
Children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) exhibit altered lower limb joint work during gait compared to healthy peers. Understanding these gait differences aids in CP treatment and rehabilitation.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Pediatric Orthopedics
Background:
- Cerebral Palsy (CP) significantly impacts motor function, affecting gait patterns in children.
- Understanding the biomechanics of joint work in children with CP is crucial for effective interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the positive and negative joint work in lower limb joints during the gait cycle between children with CP and healthy children.
- To identify specific gait sub-phases where joint work differs significantly between the two groups.
Main Methods:
- Gait data were collected from 18 children with CP (including those with orthoses, botulinum toxin, or surgery) and 20 healthy children using a motion capture system.
- Joint work was calculated for positive and negative components across six gait sub-phases and normalized by speed for comparative analysis.
Main Results:
- Children with CP demonstrated slower walking speed, reduced stride length, and a longer stance phase compared to healthy children.
- Significant differences in hip and ankle positive work were observed, with CP group showing altered energy generation and absorption patterns, particularly during midstance and terminal stance.
- The knee joint exhibited a similar distribution of positive work during the stance phase in both groups.
Conclusions:
- The study provides a detailed quantitative analysis of joint work discrepancies in children with CP during gait.
- Findings offer valuable insights for clinicians to tailor treatment and rehabilitation strategies for pediatric CP patients based on specific biomechanical alterations.
Purpose:
To compare joint work in the lower limb joints during different sub-phases of the gait cycle between Cerebral Palsy (CP) and healthy children.
Methods:
Eighteen CP and 20 healthy children's gait data were collected. The CP group included orthoses, intra-muscular injection of botulinum toxin and surgery groups. A motion capture system was used to collect gait data. Joint work was calculated as positive and negative components in six subphases during gait and normalised by speed when comparing the groups.
Results:
The CP group had a slower walking speed, smaller stride length and longer stance phase than the healthy group. Hip max positive work was 0.12 ± 0.02 Jkg-1/ms-1 for the CP group in pre-mid-stance but 0.07 ± 0.01 Jkg-1/ms-1 for the healthy group during the terminal phase. In terminal stance, ankle positive work was significantly lower in the CP group (0.12 ± 0.01) than in the healthy group (0.18 ± 0.01). The knee showed a similar distribution of positive work in the stance phase for the two groups. In the ankle and hip, the CP group had energy generation mainly in midstance while the healthy group was mainly in terminal stance. In the ankle, the CP group had larger energy absorption in mid-stance than the healthy children group, while the CP group showed lower energy generation in the terminal stance phase than seen in the healthy group.
Conclusion:
The qualitative and quantitative analysis of joint work provides useful information for clinicians in the treatment and rehabilitation of CP patients.
