Three-Dimensional Gait Analysis of Typically Developing Children in the MENA Region: Lower Limb Analysis

Abstract

Introduction: This study investigated the relationship between walking speed and lower limb kinematics, establishing a normative database for Typically Developing (TD) children in the MENA region across three age groups: Group A (5-7 years), Group B (8-10 years), and Group C (11-13 years), and examined the effect of walking speed on Gait Deviation Index (GDI) scores. Methods: Eighteen TD children (12 male, 6 female) aged 5-13 years were distributed into three groups with 6 participants in each group. They completed a three-dimensional gait analysis using a 14-camera Vicon motion capture system (Vicon, Oxford, UK) and Nexus 2.15 software at 200 Hz, walking barefoot at three speeds (slow, normal, and fast). Gait parameters were averaged over 3 trials for each speed. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Pearson correlation identified gait parameters that correlated with walking speed. One-way ANOVA compared spatiotemporal parameters between groups, and repeated measures ANOVA with Greenhouse-Geisser correction examined the effect of walking speed on the GDI scores. Results: There was a significant positive correlation for hip flexion at initial contact in Groups A (r = 0.742, p < 0.01) and B (r = 0.895, p < 0.01), while peak ankle plantarflexion at toe-off was key for Group C (r = -0.672, p < 0.01). Spatiotemporal parameters showed significant age-related effects, with normalized cadence and step width differing between groups at all speeds. Walking speed had a significant effect on GDI scores (p = 0.003, partial eta squared = 0.354). Conclusion: This study provides valuable information on: age-related effects, the relationship between walking speed and lower limb kinematics, and the impact of walking speed on the GDI scores. These findings offer researchers and clinicians key insights into gait determinants, GDI sensitivity to walking speed, and normative references for assessing normal and pathological gait in children in the MENA region.

Date of Award	2024
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	HBKU College of Health & Life Sciences