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. Copyright 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved