Relationship of gait parameter with physical function in healthy women

Abstract

In healthy women as the subjects, we measured gait parameters (walking speed, stance time, step length, step width, toe angle) as well as physical functions in two conditions i.e. the fastest walk and the optimum walk to look into comparisons between the gait parameters and their associations with physical functions. We compared the fastest walk and the optimum walk, we observed significant differences in the paces, stance time, step length and toe angle, but did not observe significant difference in the step width. In terms of the associations between the parameters, significant associations were presented between the step width and the stance time in the fastest walk, and between the toe angle and step width in the optimum walk. In regard to the associations between the gait parameters and physical functions, calf muscle strength presented significant associations with the step width in the fastest walk, and the quadriceps and hamstring muscles strength presented significant association with the stance time in the optimum walk. The finding suggests the correlation of step width with calf muscle strength and longest possible step. It was also suggested that the toe angle is an index affected by the speed condition and quadriceps strength.