Gait kinematic analysis evaluates hindlimb revascularization.

Peripheral arterial occlusive disease is described as vascular disorders associated with ischemia and may be the result of an obstructive vascular process or a lost revascularization response. We have shown that gait locomotion analysis by video filming represents an integrative model for the evaluation of mechanisms involved in the process of ischemia-induced revascularization. However, analysis by this method can be subjective and perception errors may be occurring. We present the optimization of a quantifiable, noninvasive, reproducible method that analyzes ankle kinematics in rats using a two-dimensional digital video system. Gait dynamics were filmed in hindlimb ischemic rats with a high speed digital video camera. Images were collected and analyzed at 125 frames per second. An algorithm using interactive data language (IDL) was devised to assess different parameters. In ischemic rats, stride time and knee joint angle remained altered 10 days post-surgery compared with sham animals. Gait kinematics were outlined in a highly reliable way by this computational analysis and corroborated the notion of hindlimb movement recovery associated with the revascularization process.