Article

Walking gait is generally held to reach maturity, including walking at adult-like
velocities, by 7-8 years of age. Lower limb length, however, is a major
determinant of gait, and continues to increase until 13-15 years of age. This
study used a sample from the Fels Longitudinal Study (ages 8-30 years) to test
the hypothesis that walking with adult-like velocity on immature lower limbs
results in the retention of immature gait characteristics during late childhood
and early adolescence. There was no relationship between walking velocity and age
in this sample, whereas the lower limb continued to grow, reaching maturity at
13.2 years in females and 15.6 years in males. Piecewise linear mixed models
regression analysis revealed significant age-related trends in normalized
cadence, initial double support time, single support time, base of support, and
normalized step length in both sexes. Each trend reached its own,
variable-specific age at maturity, after which the gait variables' relationships
with age reached plateaus and did not differ significantly from zero. Offsets in
ages at maturity occurred among the gait variables, and between the gait
variables and lower limb length. The sexes also differed in their patterns of
maturation. Generally, however, immature walkers of both sexes took more frequent
and relatively longer steps than did mature walkers. These results support the
hypothesis that maturational changes in gait accompany ongoing lower limb growth,
with implications for diagnosing, preventing, and treating movement-related
disorders and injuries during late childhood and early adolescence.
CI - Copyright (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS