Centre for Clinical Research Excellence in Clinical Gait Analysis and Gait Rehabilitation
A collaboration between:
     |
Muscle Function in Walking
Walking into the future.
New tests showing the specific role of each muscle as we walk are starting to provide some answers.
Gait CCRE researchers are taking the science further. Now that they have a biomechanical understanding of why patients have trouble walking, they are now able to work on solutions.
Chief Investigator Marcus Pandy built his reputation on a theoretical model of walking that took months to run, even on NASA’s super-computers. Now we are developing models to run on ordinary desktop computers to determine the function of individual muscles – this time analysing real people.
Once the software is developed it will open up a whole new avenue of research looking at the function of individual muscles in people who have difficulty in walking. It will also allow us to be more specific in identifying those problems and proposing treatments.
Another study is investigating the function of individual muscles at different speeds. Most existing studies in this area look at walking at normal speed. The research will also look at how walking patterns change as people walk faster. This will help determine the speed at which people choose to start running.
In a related development, researchers are looking at the function of muscles from different angles. Most existing analyses of muscle function look at the sagittal plane (as if looking from a side view of the patient). The new research looks at the coronal plane as well (as if looking from the front).
X-rays (fluoroscopy) are also being tested as a way to enhance the measurement of knee joint movement. Most gait analysis systems are based on measuring the position of markers placed on the skin, which can compromise accuracy as the skin moves. This is a major issue for conditions like osteoarthritis in the knee, where bone movements of less than a millimetre can have a profound influence.