Gait Cycle Analysis and Identification
A resource by Jadon Punshon
What is the Gait Cycle?
What is It?
• Gait cycle is a term used to describe the period of time or events and movements that occur in sequence during the action of walking, running or locomoting. Typically, this involves the moment that one limb comes in contact with the ground to the point in time in which the same limb contacts the ground and generally involves moving the centre of mass or gravity in the direction of motion
Do we all move the same?
• Despite common identifiable phases in the gait cycle, each individual’s patten is influenced by various factors such as age, personality, sociocultural factors, health status and biological factors such as height and weight.
• The Gait cycle is a complex process that involves the coordination of various body systems such as the Central and Peripheral nervous systems, muscular and skeletal system and involves the generation of various internal and external forces
Common Gait Cycle Phases
Phases of Normal
• The Stance Phase: which involves the time period of the gait cycle during which the foot contacts the ground. This stage consists of the longest amount of the gait cycle and it broken up between initial double limb contact, single leg contact and terminal double leg contact
(also demonstrating clear dorsal flexion at the ankle joint)
• There are other events and phases that make up the Stance phase of a Gait Cycle
• The Swing phase involves the part of the gait cycle in which the foot being referred to is not in contact with the ground and is transitioning between one point of contact to another. This phase is similarly made up of additional events and phases.
The 8 Common Gait Cycle Phases
1- Initial Contact
2- Loading Response
3- Midstance
4- Terminal Stance
5- Pre-Swing
6- Initial Swing
7- Mid Swing
8- Terminal/Late Swing
Muscle Action In Gait Cycle Phases
Analysis of Muscle action in Gait
Stance Phase Movements and Muscle Contractions
Initial Contact
- Plantar flexion is allowed by eccentric contraction of the tibialis anterior
- Extension of the knee is caused by a contraction of the quadriceps
- Flexion is caused by a contraction of the hamstrings,
- Flexion of the hip is caused by the contraction of the rectus femoris
Loading Response
- Body absorbs the impact of the foot by rolling in pronation.
- Hip moves slowly into extension, caused by a contraction of the adductor magnus and gluteus maximus muscles.
Mid Stance
- Hip moves from flexion to extension by contraction of the Gluteus Medius muscle
- Knee reaches maximal flexion and then begins to extend.
- Ankle becomes supinated and dorsiflexed, which is caused by some contraction of the triceps surae muscles.
- During this phase, the body is supported by one single leg.
- At this moment the body begins to move from force absorption at impact to force propulsion forward.
Terminal Stance
- Begins when the heel leaves the floor.
- Bodyweight is divided over the metatarsal heads.
- Knee becomes flexed
- Ankle supinates and plantar flexes
Stance Phase Movements and Muscle Contractions
Swing Phase
Pre-Swing
- Hip reduces extension.
- Knee maintained in flexion
- Further plantarflexion
- Foot leaves ground
Initial & Mid Swing
- Hip extention to and then flexion due to contraction of the iliopsoas muscle
- Knee flexion
- Ankle moves from plantar flexion to dorsi flexion and finally neutral
- Hip flexion and ankle becomes dorsiflexed through contraction of the tibialis anterior
- In mid swing the knee will begin to extend dur to contraction of the sartorius (and additional quadriceps muscles)
Terminal Swing
- Hip Flexes in terminal swing
- Knee extension occurs to completion and the ankle is in a neutral position
Common Identified Differences
Commonly experienced differences that can be observed include
- Gait Speed Differences
- Cadence – or the number of steps within a certain time period
- Step Time or the time between the heel strike of one leg and the heel strike of the other leg
- Step width – the width of the space between the two feet
Causes of Common Disorders
Causes of Common Gait Disorders
- Causes of common gait disorder can include neurological factors, orthopaedic, psychiatric and medical factors.
- Gait disorders can lead to negative health, physical, mental and social outcomes
Orthopaedic Gait Analysis Form
Orthopaedic Gait Analysis
Normal Gait Cycle Example
References
Brunnekreef, J, J., van Uden, C, J., van Moordel, S., & Kooloos, J, G. (2005). Reliability of videotaped observational gait analysis in patients with orthopedic impairments. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 6(17) doi:10.1186/1471-2474-6-17