ABSTRACT
Current motion analysis methods provide an acceptable tool to analyze motion of the pelvis, hip, knee, and ankle. These predominantly noninvasive systems utilize markers placed externally on known anatomical landmarks to track motion of the individual joints of the lower extremities. The marker motions are tracked by cameras or electromagnetic field sensors, depending on the type of markers, and typically provide feedback on pelvis, hip joint, knee joint, and ankle joint motions in the sagittal, coronal, and transverse planes. Lower extremity motion analysis has been established as a tool for evaluating gait patterns for both children and adults, and the results of these analyses are used in treatment planning for a variety of pathologies.
