Clinical gait assessment: a personal view

Some problems of the establishment and management of a clinical gait assessment laboratory are explored. It is suggested that the term 'gait analysis' should be restricted to data gathering and that the term 'gait assessment' be used for the integration of this information with that from other sources for the purpose of clinical decision-making. Particular problems derive from the fact that gait analysis measures the effects of combined causes and compensatory activities of the body. The identification of causes requires, therefore, an initial theory which has to be tested by some interference with the system and this repeated as this proves necessary. This may be facilitated by a computer-aided decision program. The overall implications are that the whole body needs to be studied by a wide range of devices in a situation where the contribution of the clinician in regard to time more nearly matches that of the bioengineer than is customary.