Gait Analysis : an introduction

Gait analysis is the systematic study of human walking. It depends on observations made by experts, together with detailed measurements of body movement, mechanics and muscle activity. In individuals with conditions affecting their ability to walk, such as cerebral palsy, gait analysis may be used to make detailed diagnoses and to plan optimal treatment. Michael Whittle has maintained the clear and approachable style that established the first two editions of Gait Analysis: an introduction as the premier introductory textbook on the subject. This book, now in its third edition, is widely used and respected throughout the world, and makes a potentially difficult subject easy to understand. Beginning and building on the basics of anatomy, physiology and biomechanics this text goes on to explain normal and pathological gait, emphasizing the clinical applications of gait analysis. The author covers the wide range of methods available to study gait, from the unaided eye to powerful computer-television systems, and the book is accompanied by an interactive multimedia CD-ROM, with 'real' gait data from both a normal subject and a child with cerebral palsy. This new edition brings gait analysis into the real world of the clinic and will be an invaluable help to students and practitioners of physical therapy, orthopaedics, neurology, rheumatology, rehabilitation, bioengineering, and indeed all those involved in the study of human movement.