Abstract
To better understand “la marche à petits pas”, we focused on ground reactions forces, a key interface between muscular activity and gait kinematics. Computerized recordings were used to measure kinematic and kinetic variables in 11 patients aged between 65 and 84 years and 13 control subjects aged between 65 and 86 years. Kinematics was studied with an ELITE 3D motion analysis system. Anteroposterior and vertical reaction forces were measured under each foot with three force platforms. Free gait and gait with comparable stride lengths in the patients and the control subjects were analysed. Patients displayed higher vertical displacements of toes, ankle, and knee during gait and difficulty in initiating and maintaining rhythmic stepping. In patients, the amplitude and direction of anteroposterior forces were impaired under the starting foot and under both feet during gait. Their vertical forces were weaker and less symmetrical than in control subjects at the start and while walking. Short stride lengths, high vertical foot displacements and laborious rhythm installation seem to be due to perturbations observed in amplitude and regularity of the time course in both vertical and anteroposterior ground reaction forces.
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