Gait initiation, development of a measuring device for use in a clinical environment

Gait initiation is a part of daily mobility, its restoration thus plays a major role in the rehabilitation of hemiparetic patients that have a higher risk of falling. This study presents a clinically applicable system for the analysis of gait initiation of healthy persons and hemiparetic patients. For this purpose we have analysed the triaxial ground reaction forces yielding the displacement of the centre of pressure (CP) and, with a two-fold integration of ground reaction forces, the centre of mass (CM). These are descriptive parameters of the dynamics and symmetry of gait initiation that could predict the risk of falling. Hemiparetic patients showed a distinct behaviour when starting either with their affected or non-affected limb. Future applications include individual assessment of patients with gait disabilities and validation of physiotherapy strategies.