Segmental movements of the spine during treadmill walking with normal speed

Objective. The aim of the present work is to investigate the segmental movement patterns of the spine during normal treadmill gait. Design. The spine movement during treadmill gait of ten healthy subjects (five men and five women) has been investigated using an optoelectronic measuring system. Methods. The spine was divided into seven segments, from C7 to S2. The subjects walked with their normal speed. All data were normalized to per cent of the gait cycle. The normal patterns of the spine segment movements were found in the sagittal and the frontal planes. Results. The behaviour of the spine can be described as the motion of a stiff element with superimposed small, inter-segmental movements. These small inter-segmental movements were found both in the sagittal and the frontal planes. Conclusions. The small inter-segmental movements could play an important role in the reduction of the energy consumption during gait and in maintenence of the equilibrium.