Locomotive function in individuals with multiple sclerosis

The purpose of this study was to utilize the technique of quantitative gait analysis on individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) to provide a more accurate representation of gait patterns than subjective clinician observation alone and then compare those patterns to reported results from normal subjects without neurological disorders. Ten subjects with MS were evaluated by clinical quantitative gait analysis. The results indicated that individuals with MS responded with a 9% decrease in cadence, 7.5% decrease in velocity, 8% decrease in stride length, 17% increase in single stance time, and 56% increase in double stance time compared to normal values. There were also diminished angular displacement values for the hip, knee, and ankle, with an increase measured in pelvic tilt. Ground reaction forces were found to be significantly different for vertical forces and anterior-posterior forces. These data appear to suggest that the technique of quantitative gait analysis can provide accurate scientific assessment of gait disturbances through evaluation of kinetic, kinematic, and temporal variables and subjects diagnosed with MS may have impaired gait patterns that may not be evident during subjective analysis alone.