ABSTRACT
The fundamental difference between instrumented gait analysis and observational gait analysis is objectivity versus subjectivity. Gait analysis performed by podiatrists involves information gathering, assessment and analysis of that information and evaluation of the data about an individual’s locomotion. The gait of an individual is a coordinated series of complex movements involving the musculoskeletal system from the head to the foot. Human gait, whether walking or running, has the characteristic of bilateral symmetry; that is, when an individual walks or runs, the leading leg and arm have an opposite reciprocal placement. Clinical research has identified clear links between human gait characteristics and different medical conditions. Some characteristics of gait and posture are more frequently described than measured in a clinical setting. The practitioner should always be mindful of their innate brain function when commenting on video gait footage, since it is reasonable to expect that some of their perception may have been affected by selective attention.
