Advanced methods for gait analysis data processing

Gait analysis (GA), or the computerized multifactorial (3D kinematics, kinetics and electromyography) evaluation of walking, is becoming increasingly widespread in clinical settings. GA is a means of evaluating walking ability for the purposes of arriving at an exhaustive diagnosis, of better characterizing the functional limitations of a patient with a certain pathology, and of evaluating the efficacy of rehabilitation treatments. Nowadays, there is growing recognition of the importance of measuring and analyzing gait variability, and GA is becoming increasingly accepted and used in rehabilitation and in clinical research. In the current era of evidenced-based medicine, continuous development of quality, which includes the careful measurement and recording of results, contributes to more efficient application of diagnostic procedures and interventions and to a reduction of expenditure on unnecessary procedures. In this context, GA is a fundamental tool for characterizing gait patterns in quantitative terms.