ABSTRACT
Though man has been observing each other for many years, the science behind observing gait and describing gait began in the seventeenth century with many of the early and famous renaissance scholars and scientists contributing to this body of work including Borelli, Newton, and Descartes as only a very few examples (Table 26.1). Much of the mathematical modeling, geometry, and classical mechanics they employed enabled them to describe and represent gait. At that time, the process was labor-intensive, and little, if any, practical clinical applications developed using their methods. The framework that they laid though has allowed modern scientists, physicians, and clinicians to build upon, improve, and develop new methods for analyzing gait. Of special note, Dr. Vern Inman and his student
Dr. Jaqueline Perry have pioneered many of the new techniques and ideas behind analyzing gait51:
With advances in technology like computers, cameras, video, force plates, and EMG along with many others, our ability to acquire and analyze data has increased exponentially.51-53 Whole labs, businesses, and even institutions are devoted to this area of study. This topic is much too exhaustive to go into any depth in this chapter, but some of the basic concepts and tools for analyzing gait and the techniques for observational gait analysis will be discussed and explored in the subsequent pages. This is by no means an exhaustive work on the subject, and additional reading and material can further enlighten the clinician who is inclined to learn more about this subject.
