Reference Gait Data for Healthy Subjects

Three dimensional gait analysis is widely accepted as a general measure of functional ability among individuals as it is related to health, well-being and quality of life. To diagnose subtle changes/deviations in gait and to correctly interpret gait, a reference gait database of healthy subjects is required. Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (Caren) is a new gait analysis system which combines the 3D motion captures system with a split belt force plate instrumented treadmill and a virtual reality environment. This system enables to analyses several successive steps, which is impossible in the standard overground laboratories. Until now, no reference gait database has been created using the Caren system. The aim of this descriptive study is to create a reference database of gait in healthy adults with varying subject characteristics using Caren. This study is a single center descriptive study to build a reference database on gait of healthy adults of different ages. Six age groups are composed existing of 20 males and 20 females. Taken into account that 10% of the volunteers (especially elderly) may drop out due to e.g. disability, a total of 264 subjects will be recruited to ensure that database will include 240 subjects. Inclusion criteria: ambulatory, ability to walk without aid for 30 minutes, age older than 18 years and willing to participate. Exclusion criteria: muscular skeletal, cardiopulmonary disorders or other diseases significantly influencing gait. Medical interventions, such as surgical treatment or botulinium toxin 6 months, which significantly influence gait. Subjects will walk at different walking speeds at Caren while gait is measured. Subjects always wear a safety harness to avoid falling. In addition adults wear standard shoes (gymnastic booties) provided by the lab to avoid shoes effects. All subjects undergo measurement of leg length, body length and body weight in order to retrieve anthropometric parameters. In addition a standard ph