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Abstracts / Gait & Posture 39S (2014) S1S141

Also phases are sometimes considered as events, creating an indistinctness in its applications. The aim of this study was to propose a
more precise denition of gait phases and gait events, that is robust
to application in pathological gait, in a way that is not too disruptive
with conventional terminology.
Materials and methods: A thoughtful alternative to the conventional use of the phases of gait is drawn up.
Results:
Event name
Initial contact

Phase
name
IC

Denition

% GC CL

First foot contact

0
First double
support
Opposite ToeOff
OTO
Opposite foot off
10
the ground
Early
First part of single
stance
support
Midstance (MST)
MST
Leg adjacent to
30
opposite swingleg
Terminal
Second part of
stance
single support
Opposite Initial Contact OIC
Opposite rst foot
50
contact
Preswing
Second double
support
ToeOff (TO)
TO
Foot off the ground
60
Early swing First part of swing
Midswing
MSW
Leg adjacent to
80
opposite stanceleg
Terminal
Second part of
Swing
swing
Initial Contact
IC
(next) First foot
100
contact

OIC

Loading
response

Fig. 1. Errors for inter-trial/session/therapist (100% GC).

Table 1
Comparison of results with published gures ().
Mean (deg)
Pelvic
Tilt
Obliquity
Rotation
Hip
Flex/Ext
Ad/Abduction
Rotation
Knee
Flex/Ext
Var/Valgus
Rotation
Ankle
Dorsi/Plan
Sup/Pro
Rotation

Current study

Schwartz et al. [2]

Manca et al. [3]

1.4(1.8)
1.3(1.0)
1.2(1.8)

4.0(2.8)
2.6(1.2)
1.4(1.5)

2.2(1.9)
1.1(1.6)
1.0(1.8)

1.7(2.7)
1.7(1.5)
1.7(2.5)

3.0(3.5)
3.8(2.2)
4.2(4.5)

1.5(2.6)
1.1(2.0)
1.8(5.2)

1.5(2.8)
2.8(1.5)
2.8(3.0)

3.0(3.4)
5.0(0.5)
()

1.4(3.1)
1.5(2.5)
1.5(6.3)

1.4(1.9)
1.9(2.1)
2.5(2.8)

2.0()
()
()

1.7(3.3)
1.3(2.8)
1.8(4.9)

published methodology for data analysis also brought with it

advantages for inter-study comparisons and could be a useful tool
in the movement analysis laboratory accreditation process.
Reference
[1] McGinley, et al. Gait Posture 2009;29:3609.
[2] Schwartz, et al. Gait Posture 2004;20:196203.
[3] Manca, et al. Gait Posture 2010;32:2824.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2014.04.137
P24
Phases of gait and gait events: Some redening
Jaap Harlaar
VU University Medical Center, Department
Rehabilitation Medicine; Research Institute MOVE
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Introduction and aim: One of the basics of (clinical) gait analysis as a discipline is the use of uniform and appropriate terminology.
The phases of gait were originally dened by Perry [1], which denitions we still use, albeit different authors in slightly different ways.
However, over many years of teaching to novices it occurred to me
that some peculiarities are part of it, to which we have been getting
used to. Moreover, also the precise denitions may vary between
authors, and are not always applicable reliably to pathological gait.

TO

MSW

IC

OTO
MST

OIC

Discussion and conclusions: An alternative gait phases terminology was introduced, that takes up common terminologies
that are currently used in a somewhat loose way, to a level of a
clear, unambiguous denition. It aims for straightforward application, also in pathological gait. In other words it is robust, and not
dependent on the specic phenomena that take place in normal
gait.
The main difference with common terminology is that a strict
division between events and phases is made. This makes things
much clearer to novices, who are now learned that gait is divided in
eight phases, while in fact it are seven phases and one event (Initial
contact). In this new proposal the term MidStance is now considered an event, rather than a phase. The same holds for MidSwing,
being the simultaneous contralateral event. In this way there is a
strict synchronicity between the single support and swing events
and phases. It absence is considered a drawback of the conventional system (i.e. two phases in single support and three phases
in swing) Midstance (and MidSwing) are now very clearly dened,
based on an observable phenomena (leg adjacent), that is nearly
always present, except for walking with negative step length. Leg
adjacent is also well dened in case of exion in the swing leg
(which is, like in normal gait, often the case) by considering the
knee just ahead of the stance leg and the ankle just behind. Various
denitions (e.g. tibia vertical or heel rise) were used as part of
the conventional terminology, which in fact is principally wrong:
kinematic deviations should not affect the gait phases denitions,
but the denitions (being robust to pathology) should be used to
dene possible presence kinematic deviations!
In the table the % of the Gait Cycle is indicated as it occurs
during normal gait. In pathological gait a shortened step length
is often present, which usually also means that Terminal Swing is
shortened. By denition now the contralateral terminal stance is
shortened with the same amount. The six events are not perfectly
evenly distributed, but in an attempt to balance completeness and
brevity, this seems to be the optimal choice.

Abstracts / Gait & Posture 39S (2014) S1S141

Reference
[1] Perry J. Gait analysis: normal and pathological function. Thorofare, NJ: Slack Inc.;
1992.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2014.04.138
P26
The effects of speed, duration and gender on the
relative three-dimensional angular kinematics
of the lumbar spine and pelvis during running

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lar momentum to augment lower body propulsive ground reaction

forces and/or swing phase kinematics. This study has also evidenced a gender difference in spinal motion, as found before
[3] which may be attributed to height and limb length differences. Nonetheless, differences in lumbo-pelvic motion observed
between genders are consistent enough to merit careful consideration of subjects in related future investigations, especially with
regard to speed. Complementary studies are suggested to investigate the relative angular kinematics of the lumbar spine and pelvis
at running speeds faster than 4.5 m/s; for durations longer than
30 min; and in LBP populations.

Carly Scott , Philip E. Riches

Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of
Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NW, United Kingdom
E-mail address: carly.scott@strath.ac.uk (C. Scott).
Introduction and aim: Knowledge of lumbo-pelvic motion during running could help in the treatment and prevention of injury to
the lumbar spine. Three dimensional angular kinematic patterns of
lumbo-pelvic motion at speeds greater than 4 m/s have received little attention. Research into the effect of running duration on these
patterns is also scarce, and gender has not been taken into account
over a wide range of speeds or in relation to time. Therefore the
aim was to determine how the lumbar spinal range of motion and
the three dimensional angular kinematic patterns that occur during walking and running, differ with running speed and duration,
whilst taking gender into account.
Patients/materials and methods: Three-dimensional angular
kinematics of the lumbar spine in relation to the pelvis were
recorded in nine male and nine female recreational athletes
within the age bracket of 1835 years. Markers were attached in
accordance with [1]. Gait cycle parameters were calculated using
markers placed on the lateral malleolus and the distal end of the
second metatarsal of both ankles/toes with an additional marker on
each heel. Pelvic markers were attached to both anterior superior
iliac spines (ASIS) and both posterior superior iliac spines (PSIS). A
rigid cluster of three markers was centred over the 12th thoracic
spinous process (T12) to determine spinal orientation. A VICON
612 motion analysis system recorded marker coordinate data at
100 Hz for treadmill walking speeds of 0.89 and 1.79 m/s, and running speeds of 1.79, 2.68, 3.58 and 4.47 m/s with no incline. Each
recording epoch was 10 s. To assess the effect of running duration
10 s of data was collected every 5 min for 30 min at a velocity of
2.68 m/s. Range of motion (peak to peak) and time histories (timenormalised to the gait cycle) for lumbar exion, lateral exion and
axial rotation were ascertained and analysed with respect to the
experimental factors.
Results: The effect of speed on range of motion was highly signicant for lumbar exion, lateral exion and axial rotation, with
all angulations increasing with speed (all p < 0.001). However, only
axial rotation range of motion increased signicantly with running
duration (p < 0.001). A gender difference in the trend for lateral exion with respect to speed was detected (p < 0.05) but no strong
interaction with duration was evident. Females displayed higher
overall ranges of motion throughout. Whilst kinematic patterns
differed in amplitude, little variance in timing across speed, duration or gender was observed, with the exception of lumbar exion
between genders.
Discussion and conclusions: As expected [2], spinal motion
increased with speed. Whilst this motion is not enough, per se,
to induce acute spinal injury, a temporal co-ordination of peak
angulation with peak loading may be chronically deleterious to
intervertebral disc biomechanics. As tiredness sets in, this study
suggests that the body compensates by increasing axial rotation
of the spine, probably in an attempt to utilise upper body angu-

Reference
[1] Schache AG, Blanch P, Rath D, Wrigley T, Bennell K. Three-dimensional angular kinematics of the lumbar spine and pelvis during running. Hum Mov Sci
2002;21:27393.
[2] Saunders SW, Schache A, Rath D, Hodges PW. Changes in the three dimensional
lumbo-pelvic kinematics and trunk muscle activity with speed and mode of
locomotion. J Clin Biomech 2005;20:78493.
[3] Schache AG, Blanch P, Rath D, Wrigley T, Bennell K. Differences between the sexes
in the three-dimensional angular rotations of the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex
during treadmill running. J Sports Sci 2003;21:10518.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2014.04.139
P27
Can decreased knee acceleration causes stiff
knee gait pattern? A preliminary study
N. Ekin Akalan , Adnan Apti, Shavkat Kuchimov,
Anand Nene, Yener Temelli
Istanbul University, Turkey
Stiff knee gait is commonly seen in children with cerebral
palsy and dened as diminished knee exion during swing phase
of gait [1]. Rectus femoris is a major responsible muscle that
generates excessive knee extension and hip exion moment and
treated by detaching the distal tendon from the patella and reattaching to a site posterior to the knee. However the surgical
outcomes are inconsistent and sometimes unsuccessful because
of the biomechanical factors of stiff knee gait have not been adequately characterized [2].
Introduction and aim: Even though rectus femoris muscle is
treated as a major reason of stiff knee in clinic, the possible contributors of stiff knee gait or provider of excessive activation of
rectus femoris are not clear yet. Reduced knee exion acceleration
was blamed for appearing stiff knee gait pattern in recent years [3].
The purpose of the study is to investigate whether reduced knee
exion acceleration is the reason of stiff knee gait.
Patients/materials and methods: Six able bodied participants
heeltoe walking and tip-toed walking (three male, three female,
Av. Age: 22.4) were analyzed in gait analysis laboratory with a xed
cadence (90 step/s) before putting bilateral ankle-weight applied to
participants. For all participants, ankle weights (5% of body weight
for each limb) were applied for bilateral leg. The lower extremity
becomes heavier by applying the weight on to ankle which partially
mimics muscle weaknesses and it also decreases the velocity and
acceleration of knee exion at toe-off as it is called as the major
factor stiff knee gait pattern. The gait analysis was used to investigate the kinematic differences between normal and weighted leg
on dominant side for all participants with the same cadence.
Results: Peak knee exion decreased with the weight signicantly (p < 0.05). Knee exion acceleration (p < 0.0001) and velocity
(p < 0.05) signicantly decreased. Pelvic anterior tilt dropped from
5.3 6.1 to 4.4 6.4. Signicantly (p = 0.007), peak hip exion
decreased from 30.4 4.3 to 25.7 7.3 (p = 0.028). Peak knee exion