Age-dependent variability in spatiotemporal gait parameters and the walk-to-run transition

Stacey M Kung; Philip W Fink; Stephen J Legg; Ajmol Ali; Sarah P Shultz

doi:10.1016/j.humov.2019.06.012

Age-dependent variability in spatiotemporal gait parameters and the walk-to-run transition

Hum Mov Sci. 2019 Aug:66:600-606. doi: 10.1016/j.humov.2019.06.012. Epub 2019 Jul 2.

Authors

Stacey M Kung¹, Philip W Fink², Stephen J Legg³, Ajmol Ali⁴, Sarah P Shultz⁵

Affiliations

¹ School of Sport, Exercise & Nutrition, Massey University, 63 Wallace Street, Mt Cook, Wellington 6021, New Zealand. Electronic address: s.kung@massey.ac.nz.
² School of Sport, Exercise & Nutrition, Massey University, Tennent Drive, Palmerston North 4474, New Zealand. Electronic address: p.fink@massey.ac.nz.
³ Centre for Ergonomics and Occupational Health and Safety, School of Public Health, Massey University, Tennent Drive, Palmerston North 4474, New Zealand.
⁴ School of Sport, Exercise & Nutrition, Massey University, Albany Highway, Albany 0632, New Zealand. Electronic address: a.ali@massey.ac.nz.
⁵ School of Sport, Exercise & Nutrition, Massey University, 63 Wallace Street, Mt Cook, Wellington 6021, New Zealand; Department of Kinesiology, Seattle University, 901 12th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122, USA. Electronic address: shultzsarah@seattleu.edu.

PMID: 31277034
DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2019.06.012

Abstract

Adolescents tend to exhibit more variability in their gait patterns than adults, suggesting a lack of gait maturity during this period of ongoing musculoskeletal growth and development. However, there is a lack of consensus over the age at which mature gait patterns are achieved and the factors contributing to gait maturation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate gait control and maturity in adolescents by determining if differences existed between adolescents and adults in a) the amount of spatiotemporal variability of walking and running patterns across a range of speeds, and b) how swiftly gait patterns are adapted to increasing gait speed during the walk-to-run transition. Forty-six adolescents (10-12-year-olds, n = 17; 13-14-year-olds, n = 12; and 15-17-year-olds, n = 17) and 12 young adults completed an incrementally ramped treadmill test (+0.2 km·h^-1 every 30 s) to determine the preferred transition speed (PTS) during a walk-to-run transition. Age-related differences in the variability of stride lengths and stride durations were assessed across 4 speeds (self-selected walking speed, PTS - 0.06 m·s^-1, PTS + 0.06 m·s^-1, PTS + 0.83 m·s^-1). Repeated measures ANOVAs (p < 0.05) compared coefficients of variation for these spatiotemporal parameters, while a one-way ANOVA compared the numbers of gait transitions and speed increments used to identify PTS between the adolescent groups and young adults. Compared to adults, 10-12yo exhibited more spatiotemporal variability during all gait conditions, while 13-17yo only exhibited more variability at PTS + 0.06 m·s^-1. No age-dependent pattern was observed in PTS values, but 10-12yo completed more gait transitions over more speed increments than 15-17yo and adults. The development of mature gait patterns is thus a progressive process, with walking maturing at an earlier age than running. As 10-12yo were unable to swiftly adapt gait patterns to the changing task demands, their control mechanisms of gait may not have fully matured yet.

Keywords: Gait maturation; Locomotion; Spatiotemporal parameters; Variability.