Date Approved

4-1999

Graduate Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Physical Therapy (M.S.)

Degree Program

Physical Therapy

Abstract

Computerized gait analysis (CGA) is a powerful tool used to study the intricacies of human walking. The CGA tool is being used to make objective observations of human movement patterns. It is essential that acceptable repeatability of kinematic and kinetic data be established so that clinicians can detect actual changes between successive tests. This study assessed the repeatability of kinematic and kinetic waveform data from test and re-test trials on 15 subjects. Intra-tester and inter-tester data were examined to determine how much error existed due to marker placement between trials and testers. Part II of this study assessed the repeatability of one subject’s gait over nine different days to determine the effects of neuromuscular variability on kinematic and kinetic data..

Results showed that CGA data were repeatable at all joints and in all planes except for the frontal and transverse planes of the knee, the transverse plane of the hip and the sagittal plane of the pelvis. Intra-tester data were found to be more repeatable than inter-tester data. Part II of this study showed a high degree of repeatability in kinematic and torque data, but not in power data over repeated test sessions.

Based on these results, clinicians can be confident that the data produced by CGA are repeatable when one or more testers perform marker placement. The resulting data can be used in conjunction with the results of the clinical examination, videotape analysis, and EMG data to make recommendations for surgical and conservative treatment.

Comments

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