Three-dimensional lower extremity joint kinetics in normal pediatric gait.

Gait analysis is becoming a more integral part of the decision-making process in treatment of children with neuromuscular problems. A normal reference, however, must be available for comparison when one makes decisions. We wished to develop a normal pediatric database for joint kinematics and kinetics which could then be used as a reference for clinical gait analysis. Thirty-one normal children underwent a complete gait analysis including calculations of three-dimensional joint kinematics and kinetics. The pediatric data were similar to that of normal adults.