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Clinical Assessment of Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters in Patients and Older Adults
Published on: November 7, 2014
Mapping the Multidimensional Link Between Spatiotemporal Gait Features and Metabolic Cost in Older Adults
Boyi Hu1, Yuetong Wu1, Xiangrui Wang1
1Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 28, 2026
Summary
Gait mechanics in older adults are linked to walking energy use. Spatial features like step length strongly influence metabolic cost, offering insights for mobility interventions.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Biomechanics
- Human Physiology
Background:
- Walking economy declines with age, impacting mobility.
- Detailed gait mechanics' link to energy expenditure in older adults is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate multidimensional associations between gait characteristics and walking energetics in community-dwelling older adults.
- To identify gait parameters that correlate with metabolic energy expenditure during walking.
Main Methods:
- Eighty-five older adults performed steady-state walking.
- Metabolic energy expenditure was measured via portable indirect calorimetry.
- Gait was assessed using an instrumented walkway, analyzing 28 spatial, temporal, and variability parameters.
Main Results:
- Spatial gait parameters (step/stride length) showed the strongest correlations with metabolic cost.
- Temporal and variability gait metrics also demonstrated significant, though generally weaker, associations with energy expenditure.
- Clear patterns emerged linking specific gait features to walking energetics.
Conclusions:
- Gait mechanics, particularly spatial aspects, are closely tied to the energetic demand of walking in older adults.
- Findings provide a quantitative framework linking gait and energetics.
- This research may help identify mobility biomarkers and targets for interventions in older populations.
