Kerala Journal of
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

FHC Sreenarayanapuram, Kollam

Dr Vipin Kumar K MBBS MD PMR,

Assistant Surgeon, Kerala State Health Services
Email : vipinkumark08@gmail.com

Vipin Kumar K. Gait Analysis:
From the Clinic to the Lab. KJPMR. 2026;25(2):21-24.

Gait analysis is a fundamental component of physiatric evaluation, providing objective insight into locomotor function and movement disorders. Walking is a complex biomechanical activity requiring coordinated integration of musculoskeletal, neurological, sensory, and cardiopulmonary systems to achieve efficient forward progression while maintaining stability. Understanding normal gait biomechanics is essential for recognizing pathological gait patterns and interpreting quantitative gait data. Traditionally, gait assessment relied primarily on clinical observation; however, advances in motion capture systems, force platforms, electromyography, wearable sensors, and artificial intelligence have transformed gait analysis into a sophisticated multidisciplinary science. Clinical gait analysis assists rehabilitation physicians in diagnosis, treatment planning, orthotic prescription, surgical decision-making, and outcome evaluation, while laboratory-based gait analysis objectively quantifies spatiotemporal, kinematic, kinetic, and electromyographic parameters. This review discusses normal gait biomechanics, spatiotemporal gait characteristics, clinical and instrumented gait assessment, major rehabilitation applications, and emerging advances that continue to reshape locomotor evaluation. Integration of clinical expertise with modern biomechanical technologies has significantly enhanced the precision of rehabilitation interventions across neurological, orthopedic, pediatric, geriatric, and sports rehabilitation populations.
Keywords: Gait analysis, gait cycle, rehabilitation medicine, biomechanics, kinematics, kinetics, electromyography, motion analysis laboratory.