Historical context of Gait Analysis

• • Gait of horses was studied before gait of humans in the 19th century
• • Edward Muybridge used a series of photos to analyse gait of horses in 1872
  • found out horses do have all 4 hooves off the floor at one point - when legs are flexed
• • In 1879 Edward Muybridge analysed the gait of humans
  • reputation was tarnished
• Edward Muybridge's Standardised gait conditions:

  • young adult
  • walking straight line
  • 1.5 metres per second
  • open space
  • single task
  • no distractions
  • standard environment
• Learning points:

  • walking is a much more diverse activity compared to what is represented withing Gait literature
  • literature doesnt fully represent the scope of normal variation seen within normal and clinical populations
  • over reliance on norm referenced literature can lead to misdiagnosis or misinterpretation of clinical cases
  • assessment and rehabilitation should reflect word walking demands of the individual