This document defines and describes gait and its phases and variables. It begins by defining normal gait as rhythmic locomotion produced by coordinated movements of the body segments. It then describes the phases of gait as stance phase, when the foot is in contact with the ground, and swing phase, when the foot is not in contact. It further subdivides these phases and also describes two common systems for analyzing gait phases: traditional phases and RLA phases. The document concludes by defining and describing various temporal and distance variables that provide quantitative information about gait, such as stride length, cadence, walking velocity, and degree of toe out.

1. Gait
Dr. Hemal Patel (PT)
M.P.T., (Ortho)

2. Definition
• Locomotion or gait –
– It is defined as a translatory progression of the body as a
whole produce by coordinated, rotatory movements of
body segments.
• Normal gait –
– It is a rhythmic & characterized by alternating propulsive
& retropulsive motions of the lower extremities.

3. Kinematics of gait

4. Phases of gait
• Stance phase
• Swing phase

5. Stance phase
• It begins at the instant that one extremity
contacts the ground & continuous only as long
as some portion of the foot is in contact with
the ground.
• It is approx 60% of normal gait duration.

6. Swing phase
• It begins as soon as the toe of one extremity
leaves the ground & ceases just before heel
strike or contact of the same extremity.
• It makes up 40% of normal gait cycle.

7. Double support
• Lower limb of one side of body is beginning its
stance phase & the opposite side is ending its
stance phase.
• During double support both the lower limb are in
contact with the ground at the same time.
• It account approx 22% of gait cycle.
• This phase is absent in running

8. Subdivision of phases
Stance phase –
1) Heel strike
2) Foot flat
3) Mid-stance
4) Heel off
5) Toe off
Swing phase –
1) Acceleration
2) Mid-swing
3) Deceleration

9. Comparison of gait terminology
• Traditional –
1) Heel strike
2) Foot flat
3) Mid-stance
4) Heel off
5) Toe off
6) Acceleration
7) Mid-swing
8) Deceleration
• RLA –
1) Initial contact
2) Loading response
3) Mid-stance
4) Terminal stance
5) Pre-swing
6) Initial swing
7) Mid-swing
8) Terminal swing

10. Traditional phases of gait

11. Stance phase
• Heel strike phase:
– Begins with initial contact &
ends with foot flat
– It is beginning of the stance
phase when the heel contacts
the ground.

12. Stance phase
• Foot flat:
– It occurs immediately
following heel strike
– It is the point at which the foot
fully contacts the floor.

13. Stance phase
• Mid stance:
– It is the point at which the
body passes directly over the
supporting extremity.

14. Stance phase
• Heel off:
– the point following midstance
at which time the heel of the
reference extremity leaves the
ground.

15. Stance phase
• Toe off:
– The point following heel off
when only the toe of the
reference extremity is in contact
with the ground.

16. Swing phase
• Acceleration phase:
– It begins once the toe leaves the
ground & continues until mid-swing,
or the point at which the swinging
extremity is directly under the body.

17. • Mid-swing:
– It occurs approx when the
extremity passes directly beneath
the body, or from the end of
acceleration to the beginning of
deceleration.

18. Swing phase
• Deceleration:
– It occurs after mid-swing
when limb is decelerating in
preparation for heel strike.

19. Sub-divisions of stance phase

20. Sub-divisions of swing phase

21. Sub component of stance phase

22. Sub component of swing phase

23. RLA phases of gait

24. Initial contact
• It refer to the initial contact of the foot of
leading lower limb.
• Normally the heel pointed first to contact.
• In abnormal gait it is possible to either
whole foot or toes rather than the heel to
strike.

25. Load response
• Begins at initial contact &
ends when the contra lateral
extremity lifts off the ground
at the end of the double-
support phase.
• It occupies about 11% of gait

26. Mid-stance phase (RLA)
• Begins when the contra-lateral
extremity lifts off the ground at
about 11% of the gait cycle
• Ends when the body is directly
over the supporting limb at
about 30% of the gait cycle.

27. Terminal stance (RLA)
• Begins when the body is
directly over the supporting
limb at about 30% of the gait
cycle
• Ends just before initial contact
of the contra-lateral extremity
at about 50% of the gait cycle.

28. Pre-Swing (RLA)
• It is the last 10% of stance
phase and begins with
initial contact of the contra-
lateral foot (at 50% of the
gait cycle) and ends with
toe-off (at 60%).

29. Initial swing (RLA)
• Begins when the toe leaves
the ground & continues until
max knee flexion occurs.

30. Mid-Swing (RLA)
• Encompasses the period
from maximum knee flexion
until the tibia is in a vertical
position.

31. Terminal swing (RLA)
• Includes the period from
the point at which the
tibia is in the vertical
position to a point just
before initial contact.

32. Gait cycle

33. Variables of gait
• There are two basic variables which provide a
basic description of human gait.
– Time/ Temporal variable & Distance variables.
• Provide essential quantitative information about
gait

34. factors affecting variables
• Age,
• Gender,
• Height,
• Size & shape of bony
components,
• Distribution of mass in
body segments,
• Joint mobility,
• Muscle strength,
• Type of clothing &
footwear,
• Habit,
• Psychological status.

35. variables
• Temporal variable –
– Stance time
– Single-limb & double-
support time,
– Swing time,
– Stride and step time,
– Cadence and
– Speed
• Distance variable –
– Stride length,
– Step length and width
– Degree of toe-out

36. • Stance time:
– It is the amount of time that elapses during the
stance phase of one extremity in a gait cycle.
• Single-support time:
– It is the amount of time that elapses during the
period when only one extremity is on the
supporting surface in a gait cycle.

37. • Double-support time:
– It is the amount of time spent with both feet
on the ground during one gait cycle.
– The % of time spent increased in elderly
persons and in those with balance disorders.
– The percentage of time spent decreases as the
speed of walking increases.

38. • Stride length:
– It is the linear distance from the heel strike of one
lower limb to the next heel strike of the same limb.

39. • Step length:
– It is the linear distance from the heel strike of one
lower limb to the next heel strike of opposite limb.

40. • Stride duration:
– It refers to amount of time taken to accomplish
one stride.
– Stride duration and gait cycle duration are
synonymous.
– One stride, for a normal adult, lasts approx 1 sec

41. • Step duration:
– It refers to the amount of time spent during a
single step.
– Measurement usually is expressed as sec/step.
– When weakness or pain in limb, step duration
may be decreased on the affected side and
increased on the unaffected side.

42. • Cadence:
– It is the no of steps taken by a person per unit
of time.
– It is measured as the no of steps / sec or per
minute.
Cadence = Number of steps / Time

43. • Walking velocity:
– It is the rate of linear forward motion of the body,
which can be measured in meters or
cm/second, meters/minute, or miles/hour.
Walking velocity (meters/sec)=Distance walked (meters)/time (sec)

44. • Speed of gait:
– It is referred to as slow, free, and fast.
• Free speed of gait refers to a person’s normal
walking speed
• Slow & fast speeds of gait refer to speeds slower or
faster than the person’s normal comfortable walking
speed, designated in a variety of ways.

45. • Step width or width of the
walking base:
– It is the measure of linear
distance between the midpoint of
the heel of one foot and the same
point on the other foot

46. • Degree of toe-out (DTO):
– It represents the angle of foot formed by each
foot’s line of progression and a line intersecting
the centre of the heel and the second toe.
– The angle for men is about 70 from the line of
progression of each foot at free speed walking.
– The DTO decreases as the speed of walking
increases in normal men.

47. Degree of toe out

48. Variables of gait