Changes In Gait Patterns Research Articles

MHealth Technologies Toward Active Health Information Collection and Tracking in Daily Life: A Dynamic Gait Monitoring Example

Monitoring the changes in gait patterns is important to individuals’ health. Gait analysis should be taken as early as possible to prevent gait impairments and improve gait quality. Accurate stride-length estimation and gait rehabilitation activity recognition are fundamental components in gait monitoring, gait analysis, and long-term gait care. This article proposes a novel multimodality deep learning architecture to investigate the applications of stride length (SL) estimation and rehabilitation activity recognition. In order to verify this architecture, we have conducted the data collection and data labeling with our customized wearable sensing system. The sensing system can provide sensor readings from 96 sensors-based pressure array and 3-channels accelerometer and gyroscope. Many experiments with multiple perspective analysis are implemented to evaluate the models’ precision, robustness, and reliability. The multimodality deep learning architecture can map multiple sensor readings to the resulting SL with a mean absolute error of 3.89 cm and accurately detect the gait activity with an accuracy of 97.08%. It correlates the step length estimation and gait activity recognition to fulfill comprehensive long-term gait information statistic. The proposed applications’ implementation enriched our previous gait study and brought insights for clinically relevant wearable gait monitoring and gait analysis.

Lower extremity joint compensatory effects during the first recovery step following slipping and stumbling perturbations in young and older subjects

BackgroundThe lower extremity may play a crucial role in compensating for gait perturbations. The study aimed to explore the mechanism of perturbation compensation by investigating the gait characteristics and lower extremity joint moment effects in young (YS) and older subjects (OS) during the first recovery gait following slipping (slipping_Rec1) and stumbling (stumbling_Rec1).MethodAn automatic perturbation-triggered program was developed using D-Flow software based on the Gait Real-time Analysis Interactive Lab to induce the two aforementioned perturbations. Marker trajectories and ground reaction forces were recorded from 15 healthy YS (age: 26.53 ± 3.04 years; body height: 1.73 ± 0.07 m; body mass: 66.81 ± 11.44 kg) and 15 healthy OS (age: 68.33 ± 3.29 years; body height: 1.76 ± 0.10 m; body mass: 81.13 ± 13.99 kg). The Human Body Model was used to compute the variables of interest. One-way analysis of variance and independent samples t-test statistical analyses were performed.ResultsIn slipping_Rec1 and stumbling_Rec1, the change in gait pattern was mainly reflected in a significant increase in step width, no alterations in step length and stance/swing ratio were revealed. Based on perturbed task specificity, lower extremity joint moments increased or decreased at specific phases of the gait cycle in both YS and OS in slipping_Rec1 and stumbling_Rec1 compared to normal gait. The two perturbed gaits reflected the respective compensatory requirements for the lower extremity joints, with both sagittal and frontal joint moments producing compensatory effects. The aging effect was not reflected in the gait pattern, but rather in the hip extension moment during the initial stance of slipping_Rec1.ConclusionsSlipping appears to be more demanding for gait recovery than stumbling. Gait perturbation compensatory mechanisms for OS should concentrate on ankle strategy in the frontal plane and counter-rotation strategy around the hip.

Subchondral bone alterations in a novel model of intermediate post traumatic osteoarthritis in mice

In Post Traumatic Osteoarthritis (PTOA), hypomineralization and increased remodeling of the Subchondral bone (SB) are the first stages of tissue alterations. Although these alterations are well depicted and one of the main targets in OA intervention, the link between SB compositional and mechanical properties alterations during OA progression remains scarce in the literature. Here, we hypothesized that SB shows – right after the first sign of gait pattern changes – a decrease in SB tissue formation depicted by (i) a decrease in thickness, (ii) a lower nanoscopic stiffness, and (iii) a decrease in mineral and collagen maturity. To test our hypothesis, we investigated PTOA in female C57Bl6 mice's right knee (n = 13 control group [CL] and n = 27 PTOA group) by using Gait Analysis, Histomorphometry, Nanoindentation, and Raman Spectroscopy (RS). We showed (i) an increased OA histological grade, (ii) a decrease in Cartilage and SB thickness, and (ii) an increase of stance time and stride length on both limbs. The lateral condyle – where the main forces were applied - of mice with PTOA decreased in the degree of mineralization and crystal size and presented a lower Modulus of Elasticity (E). However, while no difference was observed regarding collagen or mineral-related compositional RS properties, we depicted higher crystallinity in the medial condyle than the lateral condyle in the PTOA group, which we did not observe in the control group. Our study depicts an early onset of intermediate PTOA where SB nanoscopic stiffness decreases while the degree of mineralization is not severely altered yet.

기능성 밸런스 운동이 야구선수의 균형능력 및 보행능력에 미치는 영향

Objectives This study was to investigate the effects of functional balance exercises on balance abilities and gait abilities in the baseball players. Methods In order to achieve the purpose of this study, 36 baseball players at C, D city, were selected at random and allocated 12 baseball players each for the Non Exercise group (NEG), Deficient Exercise group(DEG), Over Exercise group (OEG) and measured kinematic alance abilities and gait abilities before and after the experiment. The data obtained from this study were analyzed using the SPSS 26.0 statistical program the two-way repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc test was performed. Results The conclusions obtained through this study were as follows. First, as a result of analyzing the change of balance abilities to functional balance exercises, there were significantly improved in UP, Down, Left, Right in OEG compared with NEG and DEG after 12 weeks. Second, as a result of analyzing the change of gait pattern to functional balance exercises, there were significantly improved in velocity, cadence, step length, stride length in OEG compared with NEG and DEG after 12 weeks. Conclusions As conclusions, this study confirmed that the functional balance exercises could improve the balance abilities and gait abilities in the baseball players.

Identification of Individually Altered Gait Behavior Using an Unobtrusive IMU Sensor Setup.

Gait behavior is considered an important indicator for the assessment of the general health status and provides a diagnostic observation for neuro-degenerative and musculo-skeletal diseases. Individual changes in gait behavior often reflect a deterioration of the current health status in a general sense and therefore provide significant information for clinicians and care-givers. In this work, we have used an unobtrusive sensor setup comprising three inertial measurement units (IMUs) located at the wrist, the chest and the thigh to obtain an objective measure of the human locomotion. We conducted a clinical trial in a movement laboratory environment to obtain a database of gait data at different walking speeds and conditions. The aging-simulation suit GERT was used to deteriorate the individual gait behavior during the experiments. Treadmill walking trials were used to train different classifiers to discriminate normal walking from GERT-affected walking patterns. Level-ground walking trials were used to validate the previously generated classifiers. A five-fold cross validation during the training process yielded overall F1-scores between 0.965 and 0.986. The validation tests showed promising results with prediction accuracies of more than 80%. Clinical relevance- The clinical relevance of this contri-bution can be considered two-fold. First we demonstrate the possibility of an unobtrusive monitoring system to iden-tify individual deterioration of gait behavior. Second we also validate the use of aging-simulation suits to introduce individual changes of gait patterns in healthy subjects to create a database of simulated yet realistic gait impairments associated with aging.

기능성 인지보행패턴운동이 정신지체 장애 아동의 보행패턴과 인지기능에 미치는 영향

Objectives The purpose of this study was to help neurological disorders seen of the children and improve their quality of life by investigating the functional cognitive gait pattern program on gait pattern and cognitive function in mental retarded children. Methods In order to achieve the purpose of this study, 33 mental retarded children at N located in K city, were selected at random and allocated 11 mental retarded children each for the Non Exercise group (NEG), Deficient Exercise group(DEG), Over Exercise group (OEG) and measured kinematic gait pattern and cognitive function before and after the experiment. The data obtained from this study were analyzed using the SPSS 26.0 statistical program the two-way repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc test was performed. Results The conclusions obtained through this study were as follows. First, as a result of analyzing the change of gait pattern to functional cognitive gait pattern program, there were significantly improved in velocity, cadence, step length, stride length in OEG compared with NEG and DEG after 16 weeks. Second, as a result of analyzing the change of cognitive function according to functional cognitive gait pattern program, there were significantly improved in body part, number display, movement, operation in OEG compared with NEG and DEG after 16 weeks. Conclusions As conclusions, this study confirmed that the functional cognitive gait pattern program could improve the gait pattern and cognitive function in the mental retarded children.

기능성 인지보행패턴운동이 정신지체 장애 아동의 보행패턴과 인지기능에 미치는 영향

Objectives The purpose of this study was to help neurological disorders seen of the children and improve their quality of life by investigating the functional cognitive gait pattern program on gait pattern and cognitive function in mental retarded children. Methods In order to achieve the purpose of this study, 33 mental retarded children at N located in K city, were selected at random and allocated 11 mental retarded children each for the Non Exercise group (NEG), Deficient Exercise group(DEG), Over Exercise group (OEG) and measured kinematic gait pattern and cognitive function before and after the experiment. The data obtained from this study were analyzed using the SPSS 26.0 statistical program the two-way repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc test was performed. Results The conclusions obtained through this study were as follows. First, as a result of analyzing the change of gait pattern to functional cognitive gait pattern program, there were significantly improved in velocity, cadence, step length, stride length in OEG compared with NEG and DEG after 16 weeks. Second, as a result of analyzing the change of cognitive function according to functional cognitive gait pattern program, there were significantly improved in body part, number display, movement, operation in OEG compared with NEG and DEG after 16 weeks. Conclusions As conclusions, this study confirmed that the functional cognitive gait pattern program could improve the gait pattern and cognitive function in the mental retarded children.

An Efficient Gait Abnormality Detection Method Based on Classification

In the study of human mobility, gait analysis is a well-recognized assessment methodology. Despite its widespread use, doubts exist about its clinical utility, i.e., its potential to influence the diagnostic-therapeutic practice. Gait analysis evaluates the walking pattern (normal/abnormal) based on the gait cycle. Based on the analysis obtained, various applications can be developed in the medical, security, sports, and fitness domain to improve overall outcomes. Wearable sensors provide a convenient, efficient, and low-cost approach to gather data, while machine learning methods provide high accuracy gait feature extraction for analysis. The problem is to identify gait abnormalities and if present, subsequently identify the locations of impairments that lead to the change in gait pattern of the individual. Proper physiotherapy treatment can be provided once the location/landmark of the impairment is known correctly. In this paper, classification of multiple anatomical regions and their combination on a large scale highly imbalanced dataset is carried out. We focus on identifying 27 different locations of injury and formulate it as a multi-class classification approach. The advantage of this method is the convenience and simplicity as compared to previous methods. In our work, a benchmark is set to identify the gait disorders caused by accidental impairments at multiple anatomical regions using the GaitRec dataset. In our work, machine learning models are trained and tested on the GaitRec dataset, which provides Ground Reaction Force (GRF) data, to analyze an individual’s gait and further classify the gait abnormality (if present) at the specific lower-region portion of the body. The design and implementation of machine learning models are carried out to detect and classify the gait patterns between healthy controls and gait disorders. Finally, the efficacy of the proposed approach is showcased using various qualitative accuracy metrics. The achieved test accuracy is 96% and an F1 score of 95% is obtained in classifying various gait disorders on unseen test samples. The paper concludes by stating how machine learning models can help to detect gait abnormalities along with directions of future work.

Deep learning-based discriminant model for wearable sensing gait pattern

<p>In order to effectively improve the accuracy of identifying the gait pattern of wearable sensing data, this paper proposes a new model for deep learning gait mode discrimination that integrates convolutional neural network and long short-term memory neural network, which makes full use of the convolutional neural network to obtain the most local spatial characteristics of data and the long short-term memory neural network to obtain the inherent characteristics of the data, and effectively excavates the hidden high-dimensional, nonlinear, time-space gait characteristics of random wearable sensing timing gait data that are closely related to gait pattern changes, to improve the classification performance of gait mode. The effectiveness of the proposed model in this paper is evaluated using the HAR dataset from University of California UCI database. The experiment results showed that the proposed model in this paper can effectively obtain the time-space gait characteristics embedded in the wearable sensor gait data, and the classification accuracy can reach 91.45%, the precision rate 91.54%, and the recall rate 91.53%, and the classification performance is significantly better than that of the traditional machine learning model, which provides a new solution for accurately identifying the gait mode of wearable sensor data.</p>

Changes in kinematic synergy in older adults during walking: A two-year follow-up study

BackgroundA well-controlled center of mass (CoM) in a coordinated segmental manner is required during gait. A synergy index that quantifies the strength of the synergistic control of the body segments that control the CoM can be evaluated using uncontrolled manifold (UCM) analysis. Several studies have compared the synergy index between older and younger adults; however, contradictory results have been found regarding age-related changes in the synergy index. Moreover, no study has investigated these changes longitudinally. Research questionTo evaluate age-related changes in the synergy index to control the CoM during gait in a longitudinal study. MethodsTwenty-five older adults participated at a baseline visit. The gait task at the two-year follow-up was completed by 16 older adults. Participants walked on a 6-m walkway at baseline and the two-year follow-up, and kinematic data were collected. Using UCM analysis, the synergy indices controlling CoM in the mediolateral and vertical directions were evaluated at baseline and follow-up. We also evaluated the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test and the strength of the knee extensor at both periods. ResultsWe found that TUG was significantly slower at follow-up; however, no difference was found in muscle strength. The synergy index in the mediolateral direction increased significantly after two years; such increases were found in individuals with decreased gait speed. SignificanceThis study showed that changes in gait patterns, including decreasing gait speed and increasing segmental coordination, may be important for gait with appropriate postural control relative to the environment and dynamic stability of the body in individuals with low functional mobility.

The Development of Hindlimb Postural Asymmetry Induced by Focal Traumatic Brain Injury Is Not Related to Serotonin 2A/C Receptor Expression in the Spinal Cord.

Brain injury and stroke are leading causes of adult disability. Motor deficits are common problems, and their underlying pathological mechanisms remain poorly understood. The serotoninergic system is implicated in both functional recovery from and the occurrence of spasticity after injuries to the central nervous system. This study, which was conducted on rats, investigated the development of limb postural changes and their relationship to the expression of serotonin (5-HT) 2A and 2C receptors in the spinal cord in the 4 weeks after focal traumatic brain injury (TBI) to the right hindlimb sensorimotor cortex. The limb motor deficits were assessed by measuring gait pattern changes during walking and hindlimb postural asymmetry at different time intervals (3–28 days) after surgery. The expressions of the 5-HT2A and 2C receptors in the lumbar spinal cord were investigated using immunohistochemistry. The results showed that all the rats with TBI, independently of the duration of the interval, displayed postural asymmetry with flexion on the contralateral (left) side (>2 mm), while the sham-operated rats showed no apparent postural asymmetry. The TBI rats also had longer stride lengths during walking in both their hindlimbs and their forelimbs compared with the sham rats. For both the TBI and the sham rats, the hind-paw placement angles were larger on the contralateral side in some of the groups. Compared to the sham-operated rats, the 5-HT2A and 2C receptor expression did not significantly change on either side of the lumbar spinal cords of the TBI rats in any of the groups. These results suggest that focal TBI can induce motor deficits lasting a relatively long time, and that these deficits are not related to the expression of the 5-HT2A and 2C receptors in the spinal cord.

Effects of Back-Support Exoskeleton Use on Lower Limb Joint Kinematics and Kinetics During Level Walking.

We assessed the effects of using a passive back-support exoskeleton (BSE) on lower limb joint kinematics and kinetics during level walking. Twenty young, healthy participants completed level walking trials while wearing a BSE (backXTM) with three different levels of hip-extension support torque (i.e., no torque, low, and high) and in a control condition (no-BSE). When hip extension torques were required for gait-initial 0-10% and final 75-100% of the gait cycle-the BSE with high supportive torque provided ~10 Nm of external hip extension torque at each hip, resulting in beneficial changes in participants' gait patterns. Specifically, there was a ~10% reduction in muscle-generated hip extension torque and ~15-20% reduction in extensor power. During the stance-swing transition, however, BSE use produced undesirable changes in lower limb kinematics (e.g., 5-20% increase in ankle joint velocity) and kinetics (e.g., ~10% increase in hip flexor, knee extensor, and ankle plantarflexor powers). These latter changes likely stemmed from the need to increase mechanical energy for propelling the leg into the swing phase. BSE use may thus increase the metabolic cost of walking. Whether such use also leads to muscle fatigue and/or postural instability in long-distance walking needs to be confirmed in future work.

Changes in Gait Patterns after Physical Therapy in Patients with Non-specific Chronic Low Back Pain: a Pilot Study

Changes in Gait Patterns after Physical Therapy in Patients with Non-specific Chronic Low Back Pain: a Pilot Study

Sensor-based gait analyses of the six-minute walk test identify qualitative improvement in gait parameters of people with multiple sclerosis after rehabilitation

The aim of this work was to determine whether wearable inertial measurement units (IMUs) could detect gait improvements across different disability groups of people with Multiple Sclerosis (pwMS) by the six-minute walk test (6MWT) during a rehabilitation stay in a specialized rehabilitation center. Forty-six pwMS and 20 healthy controls (HC) were included in the study. They performed the 6MWT with two inertial measurement units (IMUs) placed on the feet. Thirty-two of the pwMS were retested at the end of the stay. PwMS were divided in a mild-disability and a moderate-disability group. The 6MWT was divided in six sections of 1 min each for technical analysis, and linear mixed models were used for statistical analyses. The comparison between the two disability groups and HC highlighted significant differences for each gait parameter (all p < 0.001). The crossing effect between the test–retest and the two disability groups showed greater improvement for the moderate-disability group. Finally, the gait parameter with the higher effect size, allowing the best differentiation between the disability groups, was the foot flat ratio (R2 = 0.53). Gait analyses from wearable sensors identified different evolutions of gait patterns during the 6MWT in pwMS with different physical disability. The measured effect of a short-time rehabilitation on gait with 6MWT was higher for pwMS with higher degree of disability. Using IMUs in a clinical setting allowed to identify significant changes in inter-stride gait patterns. Wearable sensors and key parameters have the potential as useful clinical tools for focusing on gait in pwMS.

Transductive Learning Models for Accurate Ambulatory Gait Analysis in Elderly Residents of Assisted Living Facilities.

Instrumented footwear represents a promising technology for spatiotemporal gait analysis in out-of-the-lab conditions. However, moderate accuracy impacts this technology's ability to capture subtle, but clinically meaningful, changes in gait patterns that may indicate adverse outcomes or underlying neurological conditions. This limitation hampers the use of instrumented footwear to aid functional assessments and clinical decision making. This paper introduces new transductive-learning inference models that substantially reduce measurement errors relative to conventional data processing techniques, without requiring subject-specific labelled data. The proposed models use subject-optimized input features and hyperparameters to adjust the spatiotemporal gait metrics (i.e., stride time, length, and velocity, swing time, and double support time) obtained with conventional techniques, resulting in computationally simpler models compared to end-to-end machine learning approaches. Model validity and reliability were evaluated against a gold-standard electronic walkway during a clinical gait performance test (6-minute walk test) administered to N = 95 senior residents of assisted living facilities with diverse levels of gait and balance impairments. Average reductions in absolute errors relative to conventional techniques were -42.0% and -33.5% for spatial and gait-phase parameters, respectively, indicating the potential of transductive learning models for improving the accuracy of instrumented footwear for ambulatory gait analysis.

Gait changes following robot-assisted gait training in children with cerebral palsy.

This study investigated changes of gait pattern induced by a 4-week robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) in twelve ambulatory spastic diparesis children with cerebral palsy (CP) aged 10.4+/-3.2 years old by using computerized gait analysis (CGA). Pre-post intervention CGA data of children with CP was contrasted to the normative data of typically developing children by using cross-correlation and statistically evaluated by a Wilcoxon test. Significant pre-post intervention changes (p<0.01) include: decreased muscle activity of biceps femoris, rectus femoris, and tibialis anterior; a decrease in range of internal hip joint rotation, higher cadence, step length, and increased stride time. This study suggests that RAGT can be used in muscle reeducation and improved hip joint motion range in ambulatory children with CP.

Assessing Post-Driving Discomfort and Its Influence on Gait Patterns.

Professional drivers need constant attention during long driving periods and sometimes perform tasks outside the truck. Driving discomfort may justify inattention, but it does not explain post-driving accidents outside the vehicle. This study aims to study the discomfort developed during driving by analysing modified preferred postures, pressure applied at the interface with the seat, and changes in pre- and post-driving gait patterns. Each of the forty-four volunteers drove for two hours in a driving simulator. Based on the walking speed changes between the two gait cycles, three homogeneous study groups were identified. Two groups performed faster speeds, while one reduced it in the post-steering gait. While driving, the pressure at the interface and the area covered over the seat increased throughout the sample. Preferred driving postures differed between groups. No statistical differences were found between the groups in the angles between the segments (flexed and extended). Long-time driving develops local or whole-body discomfort, increasing interface pressure over time. While driving, drivers try to compensate by modifying their posture. After long steering periods, a change in gait patterns can be observed. These behaviours may result from the difficulties imposed on blood circulation by increasing pressure at this interface.

Foot Loading Analysis of Intra-articular Tibia Pilon Fracture.

Although pilon fractures are rare, they are important for orthopedic surgeons because of the difficulty of their treatment and their adverse effects on gait function. The aim of this was study to evaluate the relationship between the reduction quality of the fracture, functional results, ankle arthrosis, and plantar pressure distribution in patients with tibia pilon fractures. In this study, a total of 62 patients treated for an intraarticular pilon fracture in our clinic between January of 2015 and January of 2019 were evaluated retrospectively. Postoperative reduction qualities of the patients were evaluated with the Ovadia-Beals criteria; ankle functional scores were evaluated with the Teeny-Wiss score; and ankle arthrosis was evaluated with the Takakura classification. At the last patient follow-up, foot loading analysis was performed, and the results were evaluated for their relation with postoperative reduction quality, ankle function, and ankle arthrosis. There were 62 patients (50 men and 12 women). The average age was 43.3 years (range, 19-78 years). The mean follow-up was 34.3 months (range, 24-58 months). The mean Ovadia-Beals score was 12.35 ± 4.6 on the postoperative plain radiographs of the patients; the mean Teeny-Wiss score at the last follow-up was 76.82 ± 17.69; and the mean Takakura score was 1.47 ± 1.35. Based on the pedobarographic measurements, 47.58% of the patients put weight on the anterior portion and 52.42% on the posterior portion of the foot in the anteroposterior plane. In the mediolateral plane, 42.15% loaded on the medial portion of the ankle and 57.85% loaded on the lateral portion of the foot. Intra-articular tibia pilon fractures can be demonstrated by lateralization of the walking axis and changes in gait patterns and can be associated with clinical outcome.

The change in sagittal plane gait patterns from childhood to maturity in bilateral cerebral palsy.

The longitudinal stability of sagittal gait patterns in diplegic cerebral palsy (CP), stratified using the Rodda classification, is currently unknown. What is the trajectory of sagittal plane gait deformities as defined by the Rodda classification in a large cohort treated with orthopedic surgery guided by gait analysis? A retrospective study utilized gait analysis to evaluate sagittal gait parameters before age 8 and after age 15 years. Individual limbs were categorized at each time point according to the Rodda classification based on mean sagittal plane knee and ankle angle during stance. Welch's t-tests compared gait variables from early childhood with maturity and examined changes associated with plantarflexor lengthening surgery. 100 youth with CP were evaluated twice: at a mean age of 5.49 ± 1.18 and 19.09 ± 4.32 years, respectively. Gross Motor Function Classification System distribution at maturity was I (10.5 %), II (55.2 %), III (28.6 %), and IV (5.7 %). At the initial visit, most limbs were in either true equinus (30 %) or jump-knee gait (26.5 %). At maturity, crouch gait (52.5 %) was the most common classification, of which 47.6 % were mild (1-3 standard deviations from age-matched norm; 21°-30°) and 52.4 % moderate or severe. For the entire cohort, at initial and final visits, respectively, mean knee flexion in stance was 26.8°±14.8° and 25.9°±11.4° (p = 0.320), ankle dorsiflexion in stance increased from -0.3°±11.5° to 9.0°±6.0° (p < 0.001), and passive knee flexion contracture was -2.3°±7.0° and -3.9°±8.0° (p = 0.043). In children who started in true equinus, apparent equinus, and crouch, there was no difference in stance phase knee flexion at maturity between those who underwent plantarflexor lengthenings versus those who did not (p > 0.18). The trend in this cohort was toward crouch with increased stance phase ankle dorsiflexion from early childhood to maturity. Plantarflexor lengthenings were not a significant factor in the progression of stance phase knee flexion.

Impact of Weight Carriage on Joint Kinematics in Asian Elephants Used for Riding.

Simple SummaryRiding elephants is one of the most controversial activities in the tourist industry, with concerns over whether load carrying is physically harmful. Here, we used an empirical approach to test how carrying loads up to 15% of the elephant’s body mass affected gait parameters. The maximal angles of fore- and hindlimb joints of elephants walking at a normal, self-selected speed carrying a mahout only were first evaluated and then compared to those walking with a saddle carrying two people plus added weight to reach a 15% body mass load. Data were analyzed using a computerized three-dimensional inertial measurement system. There were no significant differences between movement angles, including flexion, extension, abduction, and adduction of the fore- or hindlimbs between these two riding conditions. Thus, we found no evidence that carrying two people in a saddle causes significant changes in gait patterns or potentially affects musculoskeletal function. More studies are needed to further test longer durations of riding on different types of terrain to develop appropriate working guidelines for captive elephants. Nevertheless, elephants appear capable of carrying significant amounts of weight on the back without showing signs of physical distress.Background: Elephants in Thailand have changed their roles from working in the logging industry to tourism over the past two decades. In 2020, there were approximately 2700 captive elephants participating in activities such as riding and trekking. During work hours, riding elephants carry one or two people in a saddle on the back with a mahout on the neck several hours a day and over varying terrain. A concern is that this form of riding can cause serious injuries to the musculoskeletal system, although to date there have been no empirical studies to determine the influence of weight carriage on kinematics in elephants. Methods: Eight Asian elephants from a camp in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand, aged between 21 and 41 years with a mean body mass of 3265 ± 140.2 kg, were evaluated under two conditions: walking at a normal speed without a saddle and with a 15% body mass load (saddle and two persons plus additional weights). Gait kinematics, including the maximal angles of fore- and hindlimb joints, were determined using a novel three-dimensional inertial measurement system with wireless sensors. Results: There were no statistical differences between movement angles and a range of motion of the fore- and hindlimbs, when an additional 15% of body mass was added. Conclusion: There is no evidence that carrying a 15% body mass load causes significant changes in elephant gait patterns. Thus, carrying two people in a saddle may have minimal effects on musculoskeletal function. More studies are needed to further test longer durations of riding on different types of terrain to develop appropriate working guidelines for captive elephants. Nevertheless, elephants appear capable of carrying significant amounts of weight on the back without showing signs of physical distress.