Feasibility of a Simplified, Clinically Oriented, Three-dimensional Gait Analysis System for the Gait Evaluation of Stroke Patients.

Abstract

Although previous studies have evidenced the value of three-dimensional gait analysis (3DGA) for evaluating gait disorder, the time-consuming measurement process and space requirement has hampered its use in the clinical setting. The aim of this study was to examine the feasibility of a simplified 3DGA system for stroke patients. Thirteen pairs of stroke patients and age- (± 1 year), gender-, and gait speed- (± 0.5 m/s) matched controls were drawn from the Fujita Health University gait analysis database. 3DGA was performed using the KinemaTracer® treadmill gait analysis system. Comparisons of the spatiotemporal and kinematic parameters were performed between stroke patients and matched controls. The correlations between items from the Wisconsin Gait Scale (WGS) and 3DGA data in stroke patients were also investigated. 3DGA measurements clearly showed reduced toe clearance, hip flexion, and knee flexion in stroke patients compared with the matched controls. In contrast, significant increases were observed in hip elevation, shoulder elevation, shoulder lateral shift, and step width in stroke patients. For the four items drawn from the WGS, a significant correlation with three 3DGA parameters was observed: stance time on the impaired side, stance width, and knee flexion from toe off to midswing. In this study, significant differences in gait parameters of stroke patients and age-, gender-, and speed-matched controls were found using a simplified 3DGA system. A significant correlation with WGS was also observed. These results support the validity of the clinical measurement of gait parameters using a simplified 3DGA system.