Reproducibility of the walking patterns of normal young adults: test-retest reliability of the walk ratio(step-length/step-rate)

The walk ratio, step-length divided by step-rate, is a speed-independent index of walking patterns. This study reports on the reproducibility of the walk ratio in repeated tests. A total of 25 healthy young subjects walked on a flat floor at five different speeds and the test was repeated on the same day and after 3 months. The walk ratio did not vary in the tests. Intraclass correlation coefficients of the walk ratio between the tests were 0.6–0.8 except for walking at extreme speeds. These results suggest that the walk ratio is a reliable measure for evaluating pathological and aging walking patterns.