Joint angle parameters in gait: reference data for normal subjects, 10-79 years of age.

Abstract

In the laboratory, gait analysis is often completed with goniometry. In a previous article (Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development, Vol. 30 No. 2), reference data for basic gait parameters were presented. The aim of this study was to provide such reference data for joint angle parameters. Two hundred and thirty-three healthy subjects (116 men and 117 women) 10-79 years of age, were entered into the study. The measurements were made in a gait laboratory with electrogoniometers with Lamoreaux type of exoskeleton. A series of reference tables for slow, normal and fast speed are presented. Means, standard deviations, coefficients of variation, 95% confidence intervals, and 95% prediction intervals were calculated. We found minor changes with age, no differences between right and left side, significant sex differences, and significant changes with increasing gait speed. The reference data are considered valid in an indoor laboratory situation. If gait analysis is used for evaluation of disabled people, a comparison must be made with data from healthy people. This study provides such normative data for joint angle parameters.