Gait analysis for foot and ankle surgeons - Topical review, part 2: Approaches to multisegment modeling of the foot

摘要

Motion of the foot and ankle has been traditionally investigated by modeling the foot as a single rigid segment that interacts with the lower leg. For example, the modified Helen Hayes foot model is commonly used in the literature to assess ankle motion during gait11 (Figure 1). Such an analysis permits identification of movement (kinematics), forces/ moments, and powers (kinetics) generated about the ankle in normal62,87 and pathological populations.11,63 Although relatively easy to perform and analyze, the basic information from single segment foot modeling does not provide observation of the complex motions that occur within the foot during human gait. Multisegment foot modeling addresses this problem by analyzing motion within the foot itself.7,18,40 Several multisegment gait models of the foot have been developed to date and are being used in clinical gait analysis. 19,22,33,40,40,52,73,79 Each model that has been developed has strengths and weaknesses. With multisegment foot modeling being reported with increasing frequency in the literature in the past few years, it is important for clinicians and researchers involved in assessment of foot and ankle dysfunction to gain a basic understanding of the benefits and limitations of multisegment foot modeling.