Temporospatial Variables Research Articles

Unraveling the gait dynamics - A comparative study of iASSIST and conventional total knee replacement techniques in osteoarthritic elderly patients

BackgroundOsteoarthritis (OA) stands as the most prevalent disability among the elderly population. Assessing functional outcomes after Total Knee Replacement (TKR) typically involves Gait analysis along with other evaluation methods. The objective of this study was to compare Gait results, including temporospatial parameters, joint angles, gait profile score (GPS), and movement analysis profiles (MAP), between conventional and iASSIST TKR techniques. MethodThe study involved 21 participants (mean age 68.4 ± 4.2 years), with 16 females and 5 males. Among them, 11 patients had traditional surgery (15 TKR), and 10 patients had iASSIST surgery (13 TKR), totaling 28 knees (7 bilateral). The pre-operative Gait analysis was conducted one day before the surgical procedure, whereas the postoperative Gait analysis was performed, on average, 210 ± 20 days after surgery. Gait analysis was conducted using the Qualisys Motion capture system, operating at a rate of 120 Hz. The data were thoroughly analyzed using Visual 3D C-Motion Software. ResultsAn analysis of gait biomechanics metrics, encompassing temporospatial parameters, joint angles, GPS, and MAP, was undertaken. Significant differences were observed in sagittal plane joint angles of the pelvis and hip, transverse plane joint angles of the knee, cadence, and MAP of foot internal/external rotation. However, there were no statistically significant differences between the two TKR techniques in the remaining temporospatial variables, joint angles, GPS, or MAP. ConclusionThis study revealed a significant difference between iASSIST-guided TKR and conventional TKR, demonstrating that the iASSIST procedure led to improvements in walking biomechanics. Findings hold potential utility for orthopedic surgeons in their decision-making processes, ultimately contributing to the improvement of functional outcomes following TKR.

Added mass increases Achilles tendon stress in female runners

ContextAchilles tendon (AT) injuries are common in female runners and military personnel where increased AT loading may be a contributing factor. Few studies have examined AT stress during running with added mass. The purpose was to examine the stress, strain, and force placed on the AT, kinematics and temporospatial variable in running with different amounts of added mass. DesignRepeated measure design MethodsTwenty-three female runners with a rear-foot strike pattern were participants. AT stress, strain, and force were measured during running using a musculoskeletal model that used kinematic (180 Hz) and kinetic data (1800 Hz) as input. Ultrasound data were used to measure AT cross sectional area. A repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (α = 0.05) was used on AT loading variables, kinematics and temporospatial variables. ResultsPeak AT stress, strain, and force were greatest during the 9.0 kg added load running condition (p < .0001). There was a 4.3% and 8.8% increase in AT stress and strain during the 4.5 kg and 9.0 kg added load conditions, respectively, compared to baseline. Kinematics at the hip and knee changed with added load but not at the ankle. Small changes in temporospatial variables were seen. ConclusionAdded load increased stress on the AT during running. There may be an increased risk for AT injury with added load. Individuals may consider slowly progressing training with added load to allow for increased AT loading.

Gait Adaptation Is Different between the Affected and Unaffected Legs in Children with Spastic Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy While Walking on a Changing Slope

Walking on sloped surfaces requires additional effort; how individuals with spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy (CP) manage their gait on slopes remains unknown. Herein, we analyzed the difference in gait adaptation between the affected and unaffected legs according to changes in the incline by measuring spatiotemporal and kinematic data in children with spastic hemiplegic CP. Seventeen children underwent instrumented three-dimensional gait analysis on a dynamic pitch treadmill at an incline of +10° to −10° (intervals of 5°). While the step length of the affected legs increased during uphill gait and decreased during downhill gait, the unaffected legs showed no significance. During uphill gait, the hip, knee, and ankle joints of the affected and unaffected legs showed increased flexion, while the unaffected leg showed increased knee flexion throughout most of the stance phase compared with the affected leg. During downhill gait, hip and knee flexion increased in the affected leg, and knee flexion increased in the unaffected leg during the early swing phase. However, the ankle plantar flexion increased during the stance phase only in the unaffected leg. Although alterations in temporospatial variables and joint kinematics occurred in both legs as the slope angle changed, they showed different adaptation mechanisms.

Temporospatial parameters, shoulder kinematics, and acute tendon changes in four different stroke patterns in male wheelchair users with spinal cord injury.

Manual wheelchair propulsion causes shoulder tendon pathologies in wheelchair users with spinal cord injury. Four different wheelchair stroke patterns can cause varying amounts of acute changes in the shoulder tendons. To evaluate and compare acute changes in the supraspinatus and biceps tendons and acromiohumeral distance (AHD) after propulsion between different stroke patterns in individuals with spinal cord injury. In addition, to associate tendon changes with demographic and biomechanical characteristics. Prospective and comparative study between four groups. Tertiary rehabilitation hospital. Male wheelchair users with spinal cord injury. Participants were divided into four groups according to stroke pattern (arcing, semicircular [SC], single-loop [SL], and double-loop [DL]), in which they used their wheelchair on a motorized treadmill at a speed of 1m/s. A sample of 40 people was created, 10 in each group. All participants performed a propulsion test. Temporospatial variables and shoulder kinematics were analyzed. Supraspinatus tendon thickness (SSTT), long head of biceps tendon thickness (LHBTT), and AHD were measured before and after the propulsion test. SC pattern had lower cadence and larger contact angle. A reduction in SSTT and LHBTT in arcing pattern, LHBTT and AHD in SC pattern, and LHBTT in DL pattern was observed (all p < .05). However, SL pattern did not differ significantly in all ultrasonographic measurements (all p > .05). Body mass index was associated with a decrease in SSTT. Age and number of daily push-ups were associated with a decrease in AHD. Fewer tendon changes after the propulsion in the SL pattern suggested that the supraspinatus and biceps tendons were preserved in this pattern. The SL pattern may be a better choice for male wheelchair users with supraspinatus and biceps tendon pathologies.

Walking stability in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: an objective assessment using wearable accelerometers and machine learning

BackgroundBenign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is one of the most common peripheral vestibular disorders leading to balance difficulties and increased fall risks. This study aims to investigate the walking stability of BPPV patients in clinical settings and propose a machine-learning-based classification method for determining the severity of gait disturbances of BPPV.Methods Twenty-seven BPPV outpatients and twenty-seven healthy subjects completed level walking trials at self-preferred speed in clinical settings while wearing two accelerometers on the head and lower trunk, respectively. Temporo-spatial variables and six walking stability related variables [root mean square (RMS), harmonic ratio (HR), gait variability, step/stride regularity, and gait symmetry] derived from the acceleration signals were analyzed. A support vector machine model (SVM) based on the gait variables of BPPV patients were developed to differentiate patients from healthy controls and classify the handicapping effects of dizziness imposed by BPPV.ResultsThe results showed that BPPV patients employed a conservative gait and significantly reduced walking stability compared to the healthy controls. Significant different mediolateral HR at the lower trunk and anteroposterior step regularity at the head were found in BPPV patients among mild, moderate, and severe DHI (dizziness handicap inventory) subgroups. SVM classification achieved promising accuracies with area under the curve (AUC) of 0.78, 0.83, 0.85 and 0.96 respectively for differentiating patients from healthy controls and classifying the three stages of DHI subgroups. Study results suggest that the proposed gait analysis that is based on the coupling of wearable accelerometers and machine learning provides an objective approach for assessing gait disturbances and handicapping effects of dizziness imposed by BPPV.

The impact of different mobile phone tasks on gait behaviour in healthy young adults

IntroductionThe aim of this study was to examine the impact of different mobile phone tasks on gait behaviour in healthy young adults. MethodsAn experimental design was used in this study. Twenty-five participants, 7 males and 18 females, aged 22.56 ± 2.45 years completed 5 tasks whilst walking. The conditions consisted of no task, calling, playing a game, listening to music, texting, and watching a video. Gait behaviour was captured using a Zebris Force Distribution Measurement (FDM) system, and 6 trials were recorded under each condition. Temporo-spatial gait variables included step length, step time, stride length, stride time, step width, cadence, velocity, foot rotation angle, % stance phase, % loading response, % single support time, % pre-swing, % swing phase, and % double support time. In addition, the level of confidence during walking was assessed using an 11 point scale. ResultsRepeated measure ANOVAs with post hoc pairwise comparisons revealed that mobile phone usage altered all temporo-spatial variables significantly (p < 0.05), except for foot rotation angle. Texting and watching a video were the most notable changes, with listening to music showing no difference when compared to no task. ConclusionMobile phone usage modified gait behaviour to such a degree that it may compromise safety by dividing an individual's attention, with the lowest level of confidence being while watching video and texting. Although the potential danger of the use of mobile phones while walking is being discussed worldwide, a clear policy still does not exist, and individuals using mobile phones, in particular for watching video and texting while walking, should be made more aware of the risk of injury.

Dynamic frontostriatal functional peak connectivity (in alcohol use disorder).

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is associated with changes in frontostriatal connectivity, but functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) functional connectivity (FC) approaches are usually not adapted to these circuits. We developed a circuit‐specific fMRI analysis approach to detect dynamic changes in frontostriatal FC inspired by medial‐ventral‐rostral to lateral‐dorsal‐caudal frontostriatal gradients originally identified in nonhuman primate tract‐tracing data. In our PeaCoG (“peak connectivity on a gradient”) approach we use information about the location of strongest FC on empirical frontostriatal connectivity gradients. We have recently described a basic PeaCoG version with conventional FC, and now developed a dynamic PeaCoG approach with sliding‐window FC. In resting state data of n = 66 AUD participants and n = 40 healthy controls we continue here the analyses that we began with the basic version. Our former result of an AUD‐associated ventral shift in right orbitofrontal cortex PeaCoG is consistently detected in the dynamic approach. Temporospatial variability of dynamic PeaCoG in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is reduced in AUD and associated with self‐efficacy to abstain and days of abstinence. Our method has the potential to provide insight into the dynamics of frontostriatal circuits, which has so far been relatively unexplored, and into their role in mental disorders and normal cognition.

Conditional simulation of surface rainfall fields using modified phase annealing

Abstract. The accuracy of quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) over a given region and period is of vital importance across multiple domains and disciplines. However, due to the intricate temporospatial variability and the intermittent nature of precipitation, it is challenging to obtain QPE with adequate accuracy. This paper aims to simulate rainfall fields while honoring both the local constraints imposed by the point-wise rain gauge observations and the global constraints imposed by the field measurements obtained from weather radar. The conditional simulation method employed in this study is modified phase annealing (PA), which is practically an evolution from the traditional simulated annealing (SA). Yet unlike SA, which implements perturbations in the spatial field, PA implements perturbations in Fourier space, making it superior to SA in many respects. PA is developed in two ways. First, taking advantage of the global characteristic of PA, the method is only used to deal with global constraints, and the local ones are handed over to residual kriging. Second, except for the system temperature, the number of perturbed phases is also annealed during the simulation process, making the influence of the perturbation more global at initial phases and decreasing the global impact of the perturbation gradually as the number of perturbed phases decreases. The proposed method is used to simulate the rainfall field for a 30 min event using different scenarios: with and without integrating the uncertainty of the radar-indicated rainfall pattern and with different objective functions.

A randomized controlled trial of motor imagery combined with structured progressive circuit class therapy on gait in stroke survivors

Structured Progressive Circuit Class Therapy (SPCCT) was developed based on task-oriented therapy, providing benefits to patients’ motivation and motor function. Training with Motor Imagery (MI) alone can improve gait performance in stroke survivors, but a greater effect may be observed when combined with SPCCT. Health education (HE) is a basic component of stroke rehabilitation and can reduce depression and emotional distress. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of MI with SPCCT against HE with SPCCT on gait in stroke survivors. Two hundred and ninety stroke survivors from 3 hospitals in Yangon, Myanmar enrolled in the study. Of these, 40 stroke survivors who passed the selection criteria were randomized into an experimental (n = 20) or control (n = 20) group. The experimental group received MI training whereas the control group received HE for 25 minutes prior to having the same 65 minutes SPCCT program, with both groups receiving training 3 times a week over 4 weeks. Temporo-spatial gait variables and lower limb muscle strength of the affected side were assessed at baseline, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks after intervention. After 4 weeks of training, the experimental group showed greater improvement than the control group in all temporospatial gait variables, except for the unaffected step length and step time symmetry which showed no difference. In addition, greater improvements of the affected hip flexor and knee extensor muscle strength were found in the experimental group. In conclusion, a combination of MI with SPCCT provided a greater therapeutic effect on gait and lower limb muscle strengths in stroke survivors.

Patellofemoral Joint Stress during Running with Added Load in Females.

Patellofemoral joint (PFJ) pain syndrome is a commonly reported form of pain in female runners and military personnel. Increased PFJ stress may be a contributing factor. Few studies have examined PFJ stress running with added load. Our purpose was to analyze PFJ stress, PFJ reaction force, quadriceps force, knee flexion angle, and other kinematic and temporospatial variables running with and without a 9 kg load. Nineteen females ran across a force platform with no added load and 9.0 kg weight vest. Kinematic data were collected using 3D motion capture and kinetic data with a force platform. Muscle forces were estimated using a musculoskeletal model, and peak PFJ loading variables were calculated during stance. Multivariate analyses were run on PFJ loading variables and on cadence, step length and foot strike index. Differences were shown in PFJ stress, PFJ reaction force, peak knee flexion angle and quadriceps force. Joint specific kinetic variables increased between 5-16% with added load. PFJ loading variables increased with 9 kg of added load without changes in cadence, step length, or foot strike index compared to no load. Added load appears to increase the PFJ loading variables associated with PFJ pain in running.

Adaptations in pelvis, hip and knee kinematics during gait and muscle extensibility in low back pain patients: A cross-sectional study.

To compare pelvis, hip and knee kinematics during gait and extensibility of hip muscles between low back pain (LBP) and asymptomatic subjects. Forty adult volunteers (11 men and 29 women) between 18 to 30 years from university population were included in this study. Twenty patients with LBP formed the LBP group, and 20 asymptomatic subjects formed the control group. Pelvic tilt and knee valgus, peak hip and knee joint excursion, and temporo-spatial variables were assessed during gait with Kinovea software. Extensibility of hip muscles was measured by Active Knee Extension test (AKE), modified Ober test, and Thomas test. There was a significant increase in pelvic tilt (p< 0.01), valgus angle (p< 0.01), and a significant decrease in hip extension (p< 0.01) in the LBP group compared to the control group. There was a significant decrease in extensibility of the hip flexors (p< 0.05) of the dominant leg and in the hip abductors (p< 0.01) in the LBP group compared to the control group. The findings of this study suggest that non-specific mechanic LBP patients present differences in the pelvis, hip and knee kinematics in sagittal and frontal plane during gait and less hip flexors and abductors muscles extensibility compared to asymptomatic subjects.

Cortical brain activity in transfemoral or knee-disarticulation prosthesis users performing single- and dual-task walking activities.

IntroductionWalking with a prosthesis while performing secondary tasks increases demand on cognitive resources, compromising balance and gait. This study investigated effects of a secondary task on patterns of brain activity and temporospatial gait parameters in individuals using a prosthesis with or without a microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee(MPK) and controls.MethodsA cross-sectional study with repeated measures was performed. Twenty-nine individuals with amputations and 16 controls were recruited. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy was used to evaluate changes in oxygenated and de-oxygenated haemoglobin in the prefrontal cortex and temporospatial variables during single-and dual-task walking.ResultsDifferences in brain activity were observed within the MPK-group and controls without changes in temporospatial parameters. The Trail-Walking test was associated with highest levels of brain activity in both groups. No differences were observed between single- and dual-task walking in the non-MPK-group (p > 0.05). The Non-MPK and the MPK-group recorded higher levels of brain activity than controls during single-task walking and poorer results on temporospatial variables compared to controls.ConclusionsFor the MPK-group and controls, introduction of a secondary task led to an increase in brain activity. This was not seen in the Non-MPK-group. Significant differences in brain activity were observed in the absence of changes in temporospatial parameters.

Analyzing Neuroimaging Data Through Recurrent Deep Learning Models.

The application of deep learning (DL) models to neuroimaging data poses several challenges, due to the high dimensionality, low sample size, and complex temporo-spatial dependency structure of these data. Even further, DL models often act as black boxes, impeding insight into the association of cognitive state and brain activity. To approach these challenges, we introduce the DeepLight framework, which utilizes long short-term memory (LSTM) based DL models to analyze whole-brain functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) data. To decode a cognitive state (e.g., seeing the image of a house), DeepLight separates an fMRI volume into a sequence of axial brain slices, which is then sequentially processed by an LSTM. To maintain interpretability, DeepLight adapts the layer-wise relevance propagation (LRP) technique. Thereby, decomposing its decoding decision into the contributions of the single input voxels to this decision. Importantly, the decomposition is performed on the level of single fMRI volumes, enabling DeepLight to study the associations between cognitive state and brain activity on several levels of data granularity, from the level of the group down to the level of single time points. To demonstrate the versatility of DeepLight, we apply it to a large fMRI dataset of the Human Connectome Project. We show that DeepLight outperforms conventional approaches of uni- and multivariate fMRI analysis in decoding the cognitive states and in identifying the physiologically appropriate brain regions associated with these states. We further demonstrate DeepLight's ability to study the fine-grained temporo-spatial variability of brain activity over sequences of single fMRI samples.

Multi-scale temporal-spatial variability of the East Asian summer monsoon frontal system: observation versus its representation in the GFDL HiRAM

This study examines the representation of the multi-scale temporospatial variability of the East Asian summer monsoon stationary front (MSF) in the High-Resolution Atmospheric Model (HiRAM) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory. Compared with the observed variability of the MSF in the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Reanalysis Interim (ERA-Interim), HiRAM reproduces reasonably well the seasonal mean precipitation pattern and the seasonal migration of MSF. However, wet biases are found over the northern and eastern China and northern Japan, and dry biases extend from the southern China to the western North Pacific. These rainfall biases are directly tied to a northwestward bias in the model simulated seasonal mean location of MSF and this location bias is most pronounced in the month of May. In general, the MSF in HiRAM is more intense, located more northwestward, and more stationary with weaker interannual variations compared to the observed. A pronounced positive bias in the ocean-land sea level pressure contrast over East Asia, largely manifested as the westward expansion of the western North Pacific subtropical high, is hypothesized to be the main cause of the northwestward location bias of MSF in HiRAM. This bias in sea level pressure contrast likely results from the missing of realistic air-sea interactions in the HiRAM simulations.

Pressure Mat Analysis of Walk and Trot Gait Characteristics in 66 Normal Small, Medium, Large, and Giant Breed Dogs.

Objectives: To document temporospatial variables and gait symmetry measured by the GAITRite® system for normal, healthy dogs at the walk and trot with the leash side recorded.Study Design: Observational, prospective, cohort study.Sample Population: 66 healthy dogs of various common breeds with no evidence of lameness that were small (< 10 kg), medium (10- < 25 kg), large (25- < 40 kg), or giant (≥40 kg).Methods: Dogs walked and trotted at their preferred velocity on a pressure sensing walkway system. Video observation confirmed inclusion criteria were met for three valid trials at each gait for each dog. Coefficients of variance were used to summarize the data for analysis. Fore and hindlimb ratios were compared. Gait symmetry was assessed with the leash on the left and right side.Results: Coefficients of variation for gait parameters ranged from 20 to 28% for all except velocity and hind reach. There was no statistically significant difference in differences in fore and hindlimb ratios for stance %, GLS, TPI, or step:stride ratio, across weight categories or between walk and trot. Less than 8% of normal dogs had a GLS score < 90 (indicating lameness). Leash side did influence gait symmetry, since GLS, TPI, and step:stride all had statistically significant differences in means between leash side, irrelevant of the weight category or gait.Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: This system allowed simple, reliable gait assessment and values reported may be considered normal reference ranges for temporospatial variables collected with this system within the weight ranges and gaits reported. Controlling leash side and patient size is recommended for therapeutic intervention studies.

Multi-scale temporospatial variability of the East Asian Meiyu-Baiu fronts: characterization with a suite of new objective indices

The Meiyu-Baiu front (MBF) is the primary weather system modulating the monsoonal rainfall in East Asia, and it exhibits pronounced variability across multiple temporal and spatial scales. A suite of new objective indices based upon daily reanalysis data are developed to characterize such variability, which include an “intensity” index effectively measuring the meridional gradient of equivalent potential temperature across the frontal zone, a “location” index documenting the central latitude and longitude of the front, and a “stationarity” index corresponding to the standard deviation of the daily central latitude. All these indices are characterized by strong interannual to interdecadal variations. Specifically, the MBF has shown a tendency of southwestward shift since the mid-1990s and become more stationary over southern China with reduced intraseasonal meandering. The western North Pacific subtropical high (WNPSH) is the main circulation feature affecting the location of the MBF on interannual timescales. The MBF moves northward (southward) when the WNPSH is anomalously strong (weak) and the surface high over the region of 35°–50°N/100°–120°E is anomalously weak (strong). When the WNPSH is strong, the MBF is often situated northwest to its climatological position and becomes more stationary. On interdecadal timescales, enhanced activity of high latitude blocking over East Asia is often accompanied with a stronger but less stationary MBF while a negative phase of the Arctic Oscillation favors a southward-shifted and more stationary MBF.

Pelvic limb kinematics in the dog with and without a stifle orthosis

To report a method of evaluating 3-dimensional joint motion in dogs with a stifle orthosis. Experimental. Six healthy dogs. Three-dimensional pelvic limb joint motion was recorded with and without a stifle orthosis. Kinematic data were collected from dogs at a walk and trot for the hip, stifle, and tarsus prior to, and after application of, a stifle orthosis. Data were also obtained for the orthosis alone. Comparisons were made between the braced and unbraced limb, and between the braced limb and the orthosis alone. Complete waveforms, kinematic, and temporospatial variables were compared. Gait waveforms differed between braced and unbraced limbs for all joints and planes of motion (P < .05), as well as between the braced stifles and the orthosis alone at both a walk and trot. However, joint ROM was inconsistently altered. The effect of bracing on stifle ROM was limited to a reduced extension at the end of stance. Adjacent joint ROM was affected by the stifle orthosis. Temporospatial variables were predominantly affected while walking. The restrictive motion of the stifle orthosis is not fully translated to the underlying joint, based on the limited differences between the motion of braced and unbraced stifles. This effect varies with plane of motion and phase of the gait cycle, with most changes in stifle motion being detected during the stance phase. The stifle orthosis had an equal or greater effect on the motion of adjacent joints, especially the tarsus.

Analysis of characteristics and establish gait reference data for 20s Korean Part 1: Temporospatial variables and pelvic tilt

Analysis of characteristics and establish gait reference data for 20s Korean Part 1: Temporospatial variables and pelvic tilt

Radiographic and computed tomographic evaluation and gait analysis of Brazilian minipigs with syndactyly

OBJECTIVE To characterize a population of Brazilian minipigs with naturally occurring syndactyly by use of plain radiographs and CT images and to evaluate kinetic and temporospatial variables by use of a pressure-sensing walkway. ANIMALS 10 Brazilian minipigs from 6 to 8 months of age (group 1, 5 healthy pigs [body weight, 10.5 to 18.5 kg]; group 2, 5 pigs with syndactyly [body weight, 7.5 to 18.0 kg]). PROCEDURES Forelimbs and hind limbs of all pigs were assessed by use of radiography and CT. Gait was analyzed by use of a pressure-sensing walkway. RESULTS All limbs of all pigs of group 2 had syndactyly. Two forelimbs had complex-1 syndactyly, and 8 forelimbs had complex-2 syndactyly. Four hind limbs had simple syndactyly, 1 hind limb had complex-1 syndactyly, and 5 hind limbs had complex-2 syndactyly. Kinetic and temporospatial values and symmetry indices did not differ between groups. Plantar and palmar surfaces of healthy pigs had 2 areas of maximum pressure, whereas plantar and palmar surfaces of pigs with syndactyly had only 1 area of maximum pressure. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE In this population of pigs, the most common type of syndactyly was complex-2, and comparison with the healthy group revealed no alteration in kinetic and temporospatial variables. Therefore, results suggested that syndactyly in young minipigs did not cause locomotor disturbances.

Kinetic and temporospatial gait parameters in a heterogeneous group of dogs.

BackgroundA prime concern of the gait analysis in a heterogeneous group of dogs is the potential influence of factors such as individual body size, body mass, type of gait, and velocity. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate in a heterogeneous group of dogs a possible correlation of the stride frequency with kinetic and temporospatial variables, as well as the percentage of body weight distribution (%BWD), and compare symmetry index (SI) between trotting and walking dogs. Twenty-nine clinically healthy dogs moving in a controlled velocity were used. The dogs were organized into two groups based on duty factor. Group 1 comprised 15 walking dogs, aged from 9 months to 8 years and weighing about 22.3 kg. Group 2 had 14 trotting dogs, aged from 1 to 6 years and weighing about 6.5 kg. The kinetic data and temporospatial parameters were obtained using a pressure-sensing walkway. The velocity was 0.9–1.1 m/s. The peak vertical force (PVF), vertical impulse (VI), gait cycle time, stance time, swing time, stride length, and percentages of body weight distribution among the four limbs were determined. For each variable, the SIs were calculated. Pearson’s coefficient was used to evaluate correlation between stride frequency and other variables, initially in each group and after including all animals.ResultsExcept for the %BWD (approximately 60 % for the forelimbs and 40 % for the hind limbs), all other parameters differed between groups. Considering each Group individually a strong correlation was observed for most of the temporospatial parameters, but no significant correlation occurred between stride frequency and PVF, and stride frequency and %BWD. However, including all dogs a strong correlation was observed in all temporospatial parameters, and moderate correlation between stride frequency and VI, and weak correlation between stride frequency and PVF. There was no correlation between stride frequency and %BWD. Groups 1 and 2 did not differ statistically in SIs.ConclusionsIn a heterogeneous group of dogs conducted at a controlled velocity, the %BWD and most of SIs presented low variability. However, %BWD seems to be the most accurate, since factors such as the magnitude of the variables may influence the SIs inducing wrong interpretation. Based on results obtained from correlations, the standardization of stride frequency could be an alternative to minimize the variability of temporospatial parameters.