1. KKU_Biomech_M5_L1
Gait analysis
Lesson (1)
Dr / Shimaa Essa
Lecturer of physical therapy , faculty of community,
King Khalid university

2. Upon successful completion of this lesson you
would be able to:
1. Define gait cycle
2. Distinguish between the phases of gait cycle
3. Identify Spatial and temporal parameters of gait cycle
4. Measure spatial and temporal components of gait cycle
practically

3. Gait analysis is used for clinical and
laboratory identification of deviations of
normal gait. In order to conduct a gait
analysis you should firstly learn about the
normal gait cycle and its spatial and
temporal components.

4. Gait Cycle
Normal Gait definition:
Is series of rhythmical , alternating movements
of the trunk & limbs which result in the
forward progression of the center of gravity
and the body.

5. Gait Cycle
Gait Cycle =
– Single sequence of functions by one limb
– Begins when reference foot contacts the ground
– Ends with subsequent floor contact of the same foot

6. Prerequisites for normal gait
1- Maintenance of upright position of the HAT against
gravity (H= head, A= arms, T= trunk).
2- Maintenance of body stability & balance.
3- Good foot control, to ensure safe foot clearance and
gentle heel contact during gait.

7. Gait cycle
(one stride)
Stance phase Swing phase
Initial contact Initial swing
(Acceleration)
Loading response
(foot flat)
midswing
(Toe off)
Mid stance
Terminal swing
(Deacceleration)
Terminal stance
(heel off)
Pre-swing
(Toe off)

8. Stance intervals
1- Initial double stance…… timing 10%
2- Single limb support…… timing 40%
3- Terminal double stance……… timing 10%

9. Phases:
(1) Stance Phase: 60% (2) Swing Phase: 40%
reference limb reference limb
in contact not in contact
with the floor with the floor

10. Support:
(1) Single Support: only one foot in contact with the floor
(2) Double Support: both feet in contact with floor

11. - Subdivisions:
A. Stance phase:
1. Heel contact: ‘Initial contact’
2. Foot-flat: ‘Loading response’, initial contact of forefoot w. ground
3. Midstance: greater trochanter in alignment w. vertical bisector of foot
4. Heel-off: ‘Terminal stance’
5. Toe-off: ‘Pre-swing’

12. - Subdivisions:
B. Swing phase:
1. Acceleration: ‘Initial swing’
2. Midswing: Swinging limb overtakes the limb in stance
3. Deceleration: ‘Terminal swing’

13. • Time frame
A. Stance vs. Swing:
• Stance phase = 60% of gait cycle
• Swing phase = 40%
B. Single vs. Double support:
• Single support = 40% of gait cycle
• Double support= 20%

14. • With increasing walking speeds:
• Stance phase: decreases
• Swing phase: increases
• Double support: decreases
• Running:
• By definition: walking without double
support
• Ratio stance/swing reverses
• Double support disappears. ‘Double swing’
develops

15. Gait analysis
Gait analysis
Kinematic analysis Kinetic analysis
1) Distance (spatial) & time (temporal) variables.
2) Measurement of joint angles of lower and upper extremities.
3) Descriptive components of gait (determinants of gait).

16. 1) Distance (spatial) & time (temporal)
variables
A) Distance variables
1- Step length.
2- Stride length.
3- Width of walking base
4- Foot angle (degree of toe out or angle of gait).

17. 1) Distance (spatial) & time (temporal)
variables
1) Step Length =
– Distance between corresponding successive points of heel
contact of the opposite feet.
– Rt step length = Lt step length (in normal gait).

18. 1) Distance (spatial) & time (temporal)
variables
2) Stride Length =
– Distance between successive points of heel contact
of the same foot
– Double the step length (in normal gait)

19. 1) Distance (spatial) & time (temporal)
variables
3) Walking Base =
– Side-to-side distance between the line of the two
feet
– Also known as ‘stride width’

20. 1) Distance (spatial) & time (temporal)
variables
4) Degree of toe out=
it represents the angle of foot placement and may be found by
measuring the angle formed by each foot's line of progression
and a line intersecting the center of the heel and the second toe.
The angle for men is about 7°. The degree of toe out decreases as
the speed of walking increases in normal men.

21. 1) Distance (spatial) & time (temporal)
variables
B- Time variables
1) Step time
2) Stride time
3) Stance time
4) Single limb time
5) Double limb time
6) Swing time
7) Cadence
8) speed

22. 1) Distance (spatial) & time (temporal)
variables
Step time:
It is referred to the amount of time spent during
single step. It is the time between heel strike of
one leg and heel strike of the contra-lateral leg.
Stride time:
It is referred to the amount of time it takes to
complete one stride. Stride duration and gait cycle
duration are the same.

23. 1) Distance (spatial) & time (temporal)
variables
Stance time:
It is the amount of time that passes during the
stance phase of one extremity in a gait cycle. It
includes single support and double support.
Swing time:
It is the amount of time that passes during the
swing phase of one extremity in a gait cycle. If the
stride time of the gait cycle is one second, the
stance time is 0.6 second and swing time is 0.4
second.

24. 1) Distance (spatial) & time (temporal)
variables
Single limb time:
It is the amount of time that passes during the
period when only one extremity is on the
supporting surface in a gait cycle.
Double limb time:
It is the amount of time that a person spends with
both feet on the ground during one gait cycle. The
percentage of time spent in double support
decreases as the speed of walking increases.

25. 1) Distance (spatial) & time (temporal)
variables
Cadence =
– Number of steps per unit time
– Normal: 100 – 115 steps/min
– Cultural/social variations
Speed (Velocity)=
 Distance covered by the body in unit time
 Usually measured in m/s
 Instantaneous velocity varies during the gait cycle
 Average velocity (m/min) = step length (m) x cadence
(steps/min). Average walking speed= 80m/minute.

26. Summary of
Gait analysis

27. o Normal Gait Is series of rhythmical , alternating movements
of the trunk & limbs which result in the forward progression
of the center of gravity and the body.
o Gait Cycle =
– Single sequence of functions by one limb
– Begins when reference foot contacts the ground
– Ends with subsequent floor contact of the same foot
o Gait cycle is divided into two phases, Stance phase &
Swing phase
o Gait analysis is divided into Kinematic & Kinetic analysis
o Kinematic gait analysis is concerned by the description
of gait components. That include temporal and spatial
variables of gait cycle.