A comparison of gait characteristics in the elderly people, people with knee pain, and people who are walker dependent people.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare the gait parameters of age-matched people with a normal gait (≥ 65 years), age-matched people with knee pain, and age-matched people with walker dependent gait at a self-selected gait speed. [Methods] Subjects walked on even ground in bare feet and were allowed a natural arm swing on a 6-m walkway. Walker-dependent participants walked on a walkway without a walker. [Results] The kinematic and spatiotemporal gait characteristics were used to investigate the difference among the each group. Hip flexion, knee flexion, and stride width parameters were not different. The gait speed, stride length and time, hip and knee extension, and ankle flexion and extension parameters were significantly different. [Conclusion] A comparision of kinematic and spatiotemporal gait characteristics during gait may provide an insight into the gait pattern of normal elderly people, those with knee pain, and the walker-dependent elderly.